Engagement In Action (EnAct!) Framework
The Engagement In Action (EnAct!) Framework for a statewide integrated early childhood health system translates the science of healthy development by scaling family-driven tools and policies to equitably promote child flourishing, school readiness, and family resilience. The framework sets forth a pathway to support national, state, and local efforts to foster collaborative partnerships and establish a family- and community-engaged system equipped to provide whole child and family developmental and preventive services. EnAct! builds on decades of research, progress, and innovation for health care and other early childhood system partners to leverage their strengths and enhance their services so that all children, families, and communities thrive. The Child & Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) partnered with the 2017-2023 Mississippi Thrive! Child Health and Development initiative to create the EnAct! Framework and associated attachments and resources.
The goals of the EnAct! Framework include:
- All In: There is universal promotion of comprehensive, personalized whole child and family preventive and developmental services.
- Real Engagement: Families are engaged to access and ensure services are personalized to their goals and needs, and to shape improvements in practice, policy, and systems of care.
- Seamless System: All early childhood systems intentionally collaborate to optimize early screening, address social and relational health needs, and promote well-being.
Visit the CAHMI’s website for more information and additional resources on EnAct!, including:
- A report that summarizes the framework and key accomplishments of the Mississippi Thrive! Child Health and Development initiative.
- Additional attachments and resources that provide more information about the data, methods, partnership roles, measurement and policies to implement the EnAct! Framework and serve as tools to support whole child and family services.
- Information about CAHMI’s Cycle of Engagement Well Visit Planner Approach to Care, which provides interoperable tools that engage families, providers, and community partners to ensure comprehensive whole child and family assessments are conducted and the unique needs and priorities of each child and family are met.
- A sign up form to stay connected and get updates about the EnAct! Framework.
Key EnAct! Framework Documents
The purpose of the EnAct! Framework is to catalyze child health equity and improve child flourishing, school readiness, and family resilience through an imminently actionable roadmap. The framework engages all early childhood systems partners to spark swift and effective action so all children and families receive high-quality comprehensive and personalized whole child and family services. The EnAct! approach works to incentivize and overcome barriers to real engagement and coordinated, cross-system collaborations.
EnAct! Framework Goals
- All In: There is universal promotion of comprehensive, personalized whole child and family preventive and developmental services.
- Real Engagement: Families are engaged to access and ensure services are personalized to their goals and needs, and to shape improvements in practice, policy, and systems of care.
- Seamless System: All early childhood systems intentionally collaborate to optimize early screening, address social and relational health needs, and promote well-being.
Implementing EnAct! in Your State
The EnAct! framework builds on decades of research and innovation led by Dr. Christina Bethell at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Cycle of Engagement Well Visit Planner (COE WVP) Approach and tools were developed in alignment with national guidelines, requirements, and priorities for systems to optimize and lead an integrated system of care. The EnAct! Framework is powered by the COE model and interoperable tools to facilitate meeting goals, catalyzing cross-sector partnerships, and engaging families through any door in a strengths-based approach.
Any early childhood system partner can use the WVP tool in their organization to engage families in whole-child and comprehensive care, meet family needs and address priorities, and connect them to relevant services based on their responses.
For more information on the COE WVP, watch this video:
Key Reports That Helped Inform the Development of EnAct!
Engagement in Action (EnAct!) Framework
The Child & Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) • cahmi.org
