Welcome to the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative Web site!

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) developed its Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Health in 2002. The strategic plan was built on scientific evidence regarding the relationship between early experience, brain development, and long-term developmental outcomes and initiatives to ensure that children enter school healthy and ready to learn. The MCHB Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Health called upon State MCH agencies to work together with teams of public and private partners to foster the development of cross service systems that serve all the needs of children and families.

The MCHB launched the State Maternal and Child Health Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative (ECCS) to implement the MCHB Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Health. The purpose of ECCS is to support States and communities in their efforts to build and integrate early childhood service systems that address the critical components of access to comprehensive health services and medical homes; social-emotional development and mental health of young children; early care and education; parenting education and family support. The first ECCS grants were issued in 2003. Since that time 49 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Republic of Palau and the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Mariana Islands have participated in ECCS. Almost all of these grantees have now developed a plan for building a comprehensive system for young children.

ECCS efforts involve a broad range of public and private agencies and organizations, parents and communities who share the goal of promoting the health and well-being of children from ages 0 to 5. ECCS has served as a vehicle for bringing together a tremendous number of people who are working hard to address all the areas of a child’s life that are critical to their health and well-being. The goal is to develop systems that more effectively meets the needs of children and families.