Understanding Early Childhood Systems

Meeting NamePresenter name

Date

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The Roots of Children’s Health and Well-being

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Trusted and Effective Messengers

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Working Across Systems

• Common vision• Shared outcomes • Aligned practices and polices• Funding

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Why the Disconnect?

• System built in silos• Delivery systems of services• Education requirements• Reimbursement• Lack of time• Lack of knowledge and connections

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When You Overcome the Barriers

• A world of opportunity opens up• Realizations of competence happen quickly• A cascade effect occurs• Positive outcomes for children ensue• Efficiencies in practice are enhanced• Potential career trajectories materialize

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Setting Realistic Expectations“A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step”

• You control the pace• You NEVER need to be the policy expert• Collaboration• Relationships, Relationships,

Relationships**from prenatal care to Chapter Child Care Contact

(CCCC) engagement in state systems!7

Tips and Tricks

• Sometimes just “sitting together” can go a long way: understanding common language, practice, shared goals, challenges and opportunities

• Never presume you or they “understand” (e.g. the basics of Medical Home or Bright Futures)

• Generally, it is hard for other systems to reach physicians - You can be the Golden Gate Bridge!

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Common Opportunities• Explore opportunities and put forth the primary care

venue as an access point• Share information about early childhood services

with patients and other pediatricians: WIN/WIN• Be a PORTAL• Contribute to conversations as a content advisor or

in an educator capacity• Seek out joint funding opportunities (public and

private)• Act as a public champion/ advocate

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Bridge Building

• Cutting through jargon (Yes, even “CCCC” and “EBCD”!)

• Creating and/or pursuing opportunities for discussion and collaboration

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Framework

• System• What is it?• What is the status of my relationship with it?• What is our “sweet spot” or common vision?• What is my vision for my relationship or role?• How do I identify contacts?• What are some examples of opportunities?

ALL IN THE NAME OF OUTCOMES!11

Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC):Established with the signing of the Improving Head Start Act of

2007ECAC’s Goal: Improve the quality, availability and coordination

of programs and services for children ages birth to 5 by:• Developing recommendations to increase access to high

quality early care and education• Conducting periodic needs assessments of quality and

availability of programs• Advising state policymakers on development of a statewide

data system, professional development system and research-based early learning standards

• Providing cross- sector representation

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Relationship Builder

• Reach out to ECAC leadership directly• Circles of contact: Who is on the council?

Who do you have existing relationships with?

• Seek out possible roles within the ECAC

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Potential Roles to Play

• Provide a presentation to the ECAC• Participate in a workgroup• Act as a content expert (e.g. screening or

primary care practice issues)• Explore opportunities available

surrounding your state’s current data systems.

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EBCD Opportunities

• Present information on EBCD to your state’s ECAC and work on a strategic plan

• Many states’ ECACs are working on workforce development or professional training and early learning guidelines

• Develop a forum for key stakeholders in medical home efforts in your state to meet with your state’s ECAC

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Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS):

• Grants to help states and communities build and integrate early childhood service systems

• Core components– Access to health care and a medical home– Social-emotional development and mental

health– Early care and education– Parenting education and family support 16

EBCD Opportunities• Integrate early childhood screening into medical

home and early education systems• Work to create a parent education and outreach

campaign• Use the medical home model to bring together early

childhood social-emotional health and mental health support within early childhood systems

• Work with early childhood system to coordinate services to mitigate stress for families

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Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs)

What do they provide?• Referrals to local child care providers• Information on state licensing requirements and

child care subsidies • Support for professional development• Advocacy • Quality Initiatives

www.childcareaware.org 18

EBCD Opportunities

• Professional development• Communication about EBCD• Outreach to other pediatricians

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Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS):

What are they?• An organized way for a state to assess, improve

and communicate the quality of ECE programs that families consider for their children

They provide a structure for:• Defining standards• Establishing rating systems for quality• Supporting improvements in quality ECE programs

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QRIS: A Comprehensive Approach to ECE Quality Improvement

• Standards define progressive levels of quality

• Participating centers and homes receive program and practitioner support

• Parent and consumer education• Financial incentives to participate and

improve quality21

EBCD Opportunities

• Identify opportunities to embed EBCD in QRIS standards and ways to implement these ideas

• Conduct a train-the-trainer session on EBCD • Identify EBCD materials that can be

disseminated to participating sites

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Head Start (HS) & Early Head Start (EHS):• Federal programs designed to promote school readiness

for low-income children ages 0-5• Head Start: for children ages 3-5 and their families, in

preschool center model• Early Head Start: for pregnant women and families

with children under age 3 (with strong home-based component)

• Comprehensive approach: whole child and family • Promotes quality with national performance standards

and supports quality improvement, including staff training and development 23

Home Visiting Programs• A voluntary service, designed to reach expectant

parents, babies and young children, who face barriers in supporting their child’s healthy development

• Offer support and information in the home (services can include: parenting and health care education, child abuse prevention, home safety information, and referrals to needed services)

• Increasing recognition of need to coordinate with other early childhood programs (e.g. Early Head Start)

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Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT):

• Child health portion of Title XIX of the Social Security Act

• Provides preventive and child health care services that focus on children’s current health care needs as well as their future health

• Recognizes the role that health care has on children being able to become contributing members of society 25

Opportunities

• Ensure that covered child health care services meet AAP guidelines and support Bright Futures

• Recognize the capacity needed to truly implement Bright Futures

• Implement structured approaches to link with community

• Support efforts to improve the quality of preventive care

• Reward quality and innovation 26

Early Intervention Programs (EI)Overview:• Identifies, evaluates and helps children with developmental

delays or disabilities and their families obtain the services they need for early intervention and coordinate their care

• Federal Funding: Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

• Services are individually tailored to a child and family’s needsGoals: • Enhance the development of infants and toddlers with

disabilities• Reduce educational costs • Maximize independent living• Enhance the capacity of families to meet their child's needs

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Positive Impacts of EI

• Specialized services and support increase the chances that children will develop to their full potential

• Young children with special needs who receive EI are better prepared for school and later life

• Parental emotional support and information helps parents to function as their child’s best advocate

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EBCD Opportunities

• Explore potential connections between pediatricians and EI system

• Provide EBCD trainings to EI leadership and providers

• Align common vision around early screening and provision of social-emotional support

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Tips and Tricks

• Being in the right place at the right time• Synergies• Did we mention RELATIONSHIPS?

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Joint Strategies to Influence Early Childhood Services and Outcomes• Measure progress and quality• Provide models, tools, best practices• Identify and support leaders• Influence policies to support the

approaches you choose• Build social capital in communities

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Carrying the Messages

• EBCD• Primary care venue, health policy and

medical education are EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS: – Edgier and stronger advocates are needed

• Early childhood systems may be the most powerful venues to transform our nation’s health 32

What are We Building?

HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Educational Achievement

Economic Productivity

Responsible Citizenship

Lifelong Health

Strong Communities Healthy Economy

Successful Parenting of Next Generation

© 2011, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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For More Information

• Contact Name• Email• Chapter Web link

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