These organizations and websites offer information on ways child welfare and child abuse prevention programs work with early childhood programs to improve services to children and families, including State and local examples.
Alliance Resources for Action Series
National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds
Presents resources from seven States profiling activities and results of strengthening families research through collaborative partnerships with early childhood programs.
Birth to Five Policy Alliance
Promotes policy ideas that support families in their parenting role and ensure positive early childhood development for at-risk children and their families. Website offers information on State-by-State early childhood legislation and policies, links to news and research, and provides an online discussion forum.
Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
Offers resources that address the needs of Head Start staff and families for practical guidance on effective ways to promote young children's social and emotional development and reduce challenging behaviors.
Collaborative Partnerships Between Early Care and Education and Child Welfare: Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families Through Risk to Resilience (PDF - 171 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (2011)
Identifies national and State approaches to connect early childhood and child welfare services and addresses strategies to improve referral and service coordination, capacity building, and policy coordination.
A Developmental Approach to Child Welfare Services for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families: A Self-Assessment Tool for States and Counties Administering Child Welfare Services (PDF - 491 KB)
ZERO TO THREE (2012)
Helps States and counties assess how child welfare policies and practices address the developmental needs of infants, toddlers, and their families; identifies how policies and practices can be improved; and engages partners in taking action.
Early Childhood-Child Welfare Partnerships
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
Explores Early Childhood-Child Welfare partnerships and discusses the increased collaboration among child welfare and early childhood systems to support and amplify positive outcomes for children, prenatal to age 8, and their families.
Early Head Start - Child Welfare Services Initiative: Final Synthesis Report: Volume 1 (PDF - 406 KB)
James Bell Associates (2009)
Reviews findings from an initiative to improve outcomes for families with infants and toddlers involved in the child welfare system by providing child development, parenting, health, and family support services that relied on intensive collaboration between early head start agencies and local child welfare agencies. See also Volume II: Compendium of Grantee-Specific Findings (PDF - 238 KB)
Making It Happen: Overcoming Barriers to Providing Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health (PDF - 542 KB)
Cohen, Oser, & Quigley (2012)
ZERO TO THREE
Reviews scientific evidence for Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health (I-ECMH) policies; examines issues faced by national, State, and local program directors and mental health practitioners in providing I-ECMH services; and proposes a set of recommendations for policy improvements at the Federal level.
Pre-K Now
Pew Center on the States
Provides assistance to advocates and other leaders working to secure policy changes and public funds that will improve the availability and quality of State-funded pre-k programs.
Safe Start Center
Supports an initiative to broaden the knowledge of and promote community investment in evidence-based strategies for reducing children's exposure to violence.
SERIES: An Integrated Approach to Supporting Child Development (PDF - 549 KB)
Kavanagh, Gerdes, Sell, Jimenez, & Guevara (2012)
Describes the SERIES approach to developmental screening—Screening, Early Identification, Referral, Intake, Evaluation, and Services—and proposes policy and practice changes to improve collaboration in early childhood services.
ZERO TO THREE
Informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. The website offers training and leadership opportunities, with resources on topics related to child health and development.
State and local examples
Arkansas Collaboration for Quality Early Childhood Care (Building Bridges to Better Beginnings): Final Project Report
Lloyd & DeJohn (2013)
View Abstract
Discusses the activities, accomplishments, and findings of Building Bridges to Better Beginnings, a federally funded project designed to ensure that young children, birth to age 5, involved with the child welfare system in Arkansas have access to high-quality child care. Result implications and recommendations for future project leadership are provided.
Children's Bureau Discretionary ECCW Grant Program: The Early Childhood Collaborative, Connecticut Final Report
The Early Childhood Collaborative & James Bell Associates, Inc. (2013)
View Abstract
Discusses the activities and accomplishments of a federally funded project designed to build upon and expand the partnership between the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the Connecticut Office of Head Start with the goal of building local community partnerships that maximize enrollment and attendance of infants and young children ages birth to 5 years, especially foster children, into comprehensive, high-quality early care and education and mental health programs. Project findings and related policy implications and recommendations are discussed.
Colorado's Strong Start Study: Helping Young Families Affected by Substance Use Build Protective Factors to Prevent Maltreatment [Presentation Slides] (PDF - 557 KB)
University Centers for Excellence TA Institute & JFK Partners (2013)
Discusses the effectiveness of the Strong Start Wraparound program designed to help young Colorado families affected by substance use build protective factors to prevent child abuse and neglect. Includes the benefits of early intervention with young families in early recovery and implications for early intervention policy and practice.
Final Report: Rhode Island Early Childhood Child Welfare-Head Start Partnership
Mullen (2013)
Children's Friends and Service
View Abstract
Discusses the activities and accomplishments of the Rhode Island Early Childhood Child Welfare Project, a federally funded initiative designed to reduce the barriers to permanency by ensuring that young children in foster care have access to high-quality early learning environments that promote children's health, social and emotional well-being, and educational success. Evaluation findings and next steps for achieving project goals are discussed.
The Los Angeles Child Welfare-Early Education Partners Infrastructure Project, Final Evaluation
Franke, Klein, Lee, & Benson (2013)
University of California
View Abstract
Describes an evaluation of the Los Angeles Child Welfare-Early Education Partners Infrastructure Project whose goal was to increase access to high-quality early care and education services for young children in the child welfare system in Long Beach, CA. Promising project outcomes and recommendations are presented.