Early Childhood System Building in Collaboration with State MCH Programs

Full Description: System building, at its core, requires coordination and collaboration. While critical to the success of creating effective systems, collaboration is not without its challenges. Former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders once likened collaboration to “an unnatural act among non-consenting adults.” But if we are to address the complex and interconnected needs of young children, mothers, and their network of family and community, it is critical that we identify effective methods of collaboration and build seamless systems of support.

In August, the latest iteration of the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative kicked off with funding for 20 states to build integrated maternal and early childhood systems of care that are equitable, sustainable, comprehensive, inclusive of the health system, and that promote early developmental health and family well-being and increase family-centered access to care and engagement of the prenatal-to-3 population. An evaluation of the ECCS initiative most similar to the current one noted its success in elevating health issues to a prominent place in state early childhood discussions and planning and in spurring innovation across a range of categories. Critical to the success of these initiatives over the years has been a partnership with their state MCH Title V Block Grant program. In some states, these efforts are housed in the same agency as their Title V program. In other places the ECCS program is housed elsewhere, but has strong ties and relationships with the Title V program.

This workshop will highlight some of the approaches that these states are taking to partner and collaborate with their state Title V agency. We’ll explore models of collaboration and discuss the success and challenges associated with each. We’ll feature states that are employing strategies such as:
• Enhancing collaboration through intentional placement of early childhood initiatives in the Title V agency
• Using system-level efforts to enhance alignment and collaboration through partnerships with health care providers in developing or improving centralized intake and referral systems
• Aligning measures and data systems to promote shared accountability

Though the recent awardees are still in a relative state of infancy of this funding initiative, most have a long history of collaboration and partnership to build on. Their work in the early months of funding has focused on strengthening those partnerships and ensuring that they have the right people at the table for true system building.

In this workshop we will share and discuss case studies of coordination efforts between early childhood and MCH efforts. We’ll delve into the challenges and opportunities associated with these efforts, identify lessons learned in the past, and discuss strategies for successful implementation to shape the future of early childhood systems.

Abbreviated Description: System building, at its core, requires coordination and collaboration. The Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative funded 20 states to build integrated maternal and early childhood systems of care that are equitable, sustainable, comprehensive, inclusive of the health system, and that promote early developmental health and family well-being and increase family-centered access to care and engagement of the prenatal-to-3 population. This workshop will highlight some of the approaches that these states are taking to partner and collaborate with their state Title V agency. We will discuss case studies of coordination efforts, delve into the challenges and opportunities associated , identify lessons learned, and discuss strategies for successful implementation.