Early Childhood Development Health Systems (ECDHS): Evidence to Impact Center selects three sites to advance equity and family-centered early childhood systems

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
MEDIA CONTACT
Cailin Jason
[email protected]
(202) 857-2689

washington d.c. – June 26, 2023 – The Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems (ECDHS): Evidence to Impact Center (the Center) – led by ZERO TO THREE in partnership with several leading national early childhood and health system organizations – selected today today three implementation sites in Colorado, Hawaii and Washington for a multi-year award. The award, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will advance statewide systems for comprehensive promotion, prevention, screening, and intervention of the development of early childhood (ECD).

“Comprehensive ECD systems require focusing on a full range of child and family strengths and needs,” said Debbie Cheatham, director of the ECDHS: Evidence to Impact Center. “The Center is excited to work with implementation sites to improve outcomes and reduce disparities in health and family wellbeing in communities with high levels of child poverty. With support from the Center, sites will focus on strategies that put families and equity first – their efforts will inform key elements of building ECD systems. »

Each site will define and contribute to short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes in its state that build on past efforts to bring about system change and improve the health of young children and families. With technical assistance from the ECDHS: Evidence to Impact Center, sites will implement and evaluate strategies for building ECD systems, including:

• Promoting early developmental health and well-being
• Bringing together essential services – such as maternal and child health, early childhood education and other social services – to provide ongoing care for young children and their families
• Advancing Equity, Inclusiveness, Access and Trust
• Building and promoting family and community leadership
• Integrate data-driven strategies that inform policymaking and resource allocation
• Identify and make investments that support sustainability

“Building ECD systems requires collaboration and committed progress toward change,” said Cathy Bodkin, the Center’s Senior Technical Assistance Specialist and Implementation Site Manager. “Implementation sites will provide technical assistance, connect with subject matter experts, use curated resources, etc. Their efforts will improve implementation and evaluation of building ECD systems that help all babies and all families to flourish.

Implementation sites were selected based on several criteria, such as the team’s proposed goals to improve the ECD health system to impact communities with high levels of child poverty; the roles of team members within their respective states and their ability to influence early childhood policy and practice; and the team’s ability to drive statewide improvements and implement evidence-based, equity-focused strategies for ECD systems change.

About Early Childhood Development Health Systems (ECDHS): Evidence to Impact Center

The ECDHS: Evidence to Impact Center is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services. ZERO TO THREE is leading this transformational work in partnership with several of the nation’s leading early childhood and health system organizations – the American Academy of Pediatrics, Help Me Grow National Center, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Family Voices, the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development and Institute for Child Success. The Center seeks to increase the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based and equity-focused systems-level strategies across states and strengthen the evidence base in support of state systems strengthening of ECD.