Elsa Jacobsen serves as the Director of Public Policy at Child360, where she works to further policies that advance equity in early childhood education at the local, state, and federal levels. Through budget advocacy, candidate forums, legislative briefings, and a host of other measures, she and her team seek to develop new early learning champions, expand access to early childhood programs, and support the early care and education (ECE) field. Elsa also works to ensure that community voice drives policy by training child care providers, teachers, and parents in advocacy methods, and by leading trips to the State Capitol and Washington, DC, where these advocates meet directly with legislators to share their perspectives.

Elsa has deep experience working with coalitions to shape and impact policy. As a member of California’s Statewide Early Care and Education Coalition, she has worked side by side with business organizations, unions, child advocacy organizations, and direct service providers on policy and advocacy efforts, which have helped secure thousands of new child care and preschool spaces for California’s children and raise reimbursement rates for child care providers.

Prior to joining Child360, Elsa served as a law clerk at Young, Minney & Corr, LLP, where she worked on critical education law issues for over 75 charter school clients. She also served fellowships and internships with the U.S. Department of Education, the California Department of Education, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), and the office of the late Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA).  Elsa has a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Education Policy Analysis and Evaluation from Stanford University, and a J.D. from the J. Reuben Clark Law School.

As the Public Policy Specialist for Child360, Ashley Portillo-Baloy assists the Director of Public Policy in tracking and analyzing local, state, and federal early care and education (ECE) legislation as well as advocating for equitable policies and investments that support ECE programs and its workforce. Last year, Ashley helped to lead Child360’s 2020 U.S. Census Project by co-creating and facilitating bilingual Census Workshops across LA County’s hardest-to-count neighborhoods, informing over 400 community members about the importance of including their young children in the 2020 Census. She also co-created and co-facilitated Advocacy and Elections 101 webinars and assists with preparing parents and child care providers to meet with legislators in Sacramento.

Prior to her work at Child360, Ashley served as Program Coordinator for a public health nonprofit in New York City that championed immigrant health access rights. In this role, Ashley facilitated Know Your Rights and Census 2020 bilingual workshops for over 1,000 community members. Ashley holds a Master of International Affairs (M.I.A.) degree from Columbia University, as well as a B.A. in Latin American Studies and in International Relations from the University of California, San Diego.