About Us
The Center envisions a future in which states and communities have a comprehensive early childhood developmental health system that effectively supports all families with young children to receive the services they need to thrive.
Many families – especially those who experience racial and economic inequities – face considerable obstacles in receiving the services they need to give their children a good start in life. Early childhood developmental health systems play a critical role in ensuring that families receive seamless access to care by bringing together maternal and child health, early care and education, child welfare, and other human services and family support programs. To ensure early developmental health and family well-being services are comprehensive, systems must be evidence-informed, equity-driven, and reflective of the experiences and perspectives of families that have historically faced structural barriers.
The ECDHS: Evidence to Impact Center is a program focused on building early childhood systems to improve and strengthen the health and well-being of babies and toddlers in states and communities experiencing high levels of poverty. The Center is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and is a partnership of ZERO TO THREE, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Help Me Grow National Center, with the Center for the Study of Social Policy, Family Voices, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, and Institute for Child Success.
Our Mission
The ECDHS: Evidence to Impact Center works to increase the implementation and evaluation of evidence-informed, equity-focused early childhood systems strategies among states and communities. The Center also works to expand the integration of high-quality, early developmental health and family well-being services into the pediatric setting, a critical touchpoint for families during their children’s most crucial years of development. The ECDHS: Evidence to Impact Center provides supports and resources to state and community organizations to serve:
- Children from the prenatal period to age 3 and their families in communities with high levels of poverty
- Children and families who experience inequities and structural barriers
- Providers supporting young children and their families across early childhood areas, such as health care, early care and education, and social services
Center Objectives
The Center aims to translate early childhood systems-building evidence into comprehensive strategies that impact the health and well-being of babies, toddlers, and their families. The Center will advance statewide systems of comprehensive early childhood development (ECD) promotion, screenings, and interventions that improve outcomes and reduce health disparities for young children and their families.
Strengthen the evidence base of state ECD systems by examining existing systems-building evidence, identifying gaps, and exploring what questions need to be answered to ensure the evidence base reflects diverse voices and experiences. Efforts will result in comprehensive recommendations for early childhood developmental health systems-building approaches, including the development of systems-building models.
Accelerate ECD systems development by providing direct technical assistance and support focused on systems implementation and evaluation to state-level Implementation Sites and disseminating resources that can be used nationwide.
Increase systems-building skills and the number of early childhood and health system leaders across the country by providing universal and specialized technical assistance opportunities that help ECD professionals build, implement, and evaluate their systems approaches.
Advance the delivery of high-quality ECD promotion and support services in pediatric settings by providing national leadership, technical assistance, and coordination in support of the Transforming Pediatrics for Early Childhood (TPEC) program. In coordination with the Maternal Child Health Bureau and the Bureau of Primary Health Care, technical assistance and support will also be provided to community health centers.
Who We Work With
The Center offers universal and specialized technical assistance to early childhood and health system leaders and professionals to increase their systems-building skills. We also provide direct technical assistance and support to state, territory, community, and tribal teams to serve young children and their families, including:
- Implementation Sites to advance intensive community building for family-centered, equitable early childhood systems-building efforts. The entities that lead each Implementation Site are the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center’s Assuring Better Child Health & Development, Maui Family Support Services, Inc., and Washington Department of Health. Each team includes representatives across sectors, such as state agencies, systems-building coalitions, and family-support and community-based organizations.
- Transforming Pediatrics for Early Childhood (TPEC) Resource Hubs to expand the integration of ECD services into pediatric settings. Cohort 1 Hubs (2022-2026) include the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Oregon Health & Science University. Cohort 2 Hubs (2023-2027) include Chickasaw Nation, Johns Hopkins University, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and the Vermont Agency of Human Services.
- Community health centers funded by the Bureau of Primary Health Care to improve developmental outcomes for children ages 0-5 through increased screening, referral, and follow-up services. See the list of the 151 community health centers that the Center provides technical assistance to here.
Center Partners
ZERO TO THREE is leading the ECDHS: Evidence to Impact Center in partnership with several of the nation’s top 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, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, and Institute for Child Success.
ZERO TO THREE
ZERO TO THREE ensures that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. Since 1977, ZERO TO THREE has translated expertise in the science of early childhood development into pioneering programs, field-leading training and resources, and responsive policy solutions. As a member-based organization, ZERO TO THREE provides a vibrant, connected community for professionals in diverse disciplines focused on child development who are committed to advancing their knowledge and skills.
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an organization of 67,000 pediatricians committed to the optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. AAP equips pediatricians and others who care for children with the latest research, policies, and education.
Help Me Grow National Center
The Help Me Grow National Center, a program of the Office for Community Child Health at Connecticut Children’s, leads a National Affiliate Network of states and communities dedicated to ensuring that early childhood systems maximize the potential of all children. The National Center serves as a national organizing entity to support the implementation of the Help Me Grow Model, which is the only national evidence-based early childhood system model in the country. Based in Targeted Universalism, the Help Me Grow Model utilizes and builds on existing resources in order to advance comprehensive, equitable, effective, cross-sector, systems of care and support for all families with young children.
Center for the Study of Social Policy
The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) is a national, non-profit policy organization that connects community action, public system reform, and policy change to create a fair and just society in which all children and families thrive. CSSP translates ideas into action, promotes public policies grounded in equity, supports strong and inclusive communities, and advocates with and for all children and families marginalized by public policies and institutional practices.
Family Voices
Family Voices is a national family-led organization of families and friends of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and disabilities. The organization connects a network of family organizations across the United States that provide support to families of CYSHCN. Family Voices promotes partnership with families at all levels of health care – individual and policy decision-making levels – in order to improve health care services and policies for children.
Institute for Child Success
The Institute for Child Success (ICS) is an independent research and applied policy organization. ICS aims to improve the lives of young children age prenatal to eight and their families, by working with stakeholders to seek holistic solutions to complex early childhood challenges. ICS supports policymakers, service providers, government agencies, funders, and business leaders focused on early childhood development, healthcare, and education.
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD) was established over 50 years ago to improve the quality of life for all children and youth and their families, especially those with special health care needs, behavioral health challenges, or disabilities. Founded with an emphasis on bringing the social justice values of Georgetown University to life, GUCCHD has built a strong training and research program that impacts thousands of lives across the world. The Center houses eight national Training and Technical Assistance Centers all focused on early childhood development, as well as local, national and international systems development projects.
Funding Acknowledgment
This program was made possible through the support of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $5,300,000 with 0% financed from non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.