In August 2021, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded Pennsylvania approximately $1.2 million to support the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Health Integration Prenatal-to-Three (ECCS) Program. These funds will advance cross-sector collaborations and partnerships, health system improvements, state-level policy and fiscal innovation, equity, and family leadership to promote early developmental health and family well-being among prenatal to three-year-old (P-3) populations. Pennsylvania’s ECCS Project builds the commonwealth's capacity and infrastructure to integrate and strengthen maternal and early childhood systems. Its particular focus on the prenatal-to-age-3 period maximizes the opportunity to reach and support families during the earliest stages of parenting.
Pennsylvania’s ECCS Project coordinates, implements, and sustains an equitable, comprehensive, system that promotes early developmental health and family well-being to increase access to a robust health care system that can meet the complex needs of the P-3 population.
ECCS Project Objectives
- State level Early Childhood Leadership Capacity: Increase the number of family and professional leaders engaged in state level maternal and early childhood initiatives.
- Coordination and alignment between Maternal Child Health (MCH), Public financing partners, and other Statewide P-3 systems and programs: Develop (or strengthen) and implement a cross-sector-state-level maternal and early childhood strategic plan that integrates health with other prenatal to three (P-3) systems and programs.
- Health System capacity to connect families to service continuum: Increase the participation of health providers (including obstetricians and pediatricians) in coordinated intake and referral systems (CIRS) or strengthen data coordination efforts for P-3 population.
- Policy and Financing changes: Demonstrate progress towards critical policy and financing changes, as identified in state maternal and early childhood strategic plans.
- Health Equity and systemic drivers of disparities: Set specific and measurable P-3 health equity goals in the statewide early childhood plan.
The ECCS Maternal and Early Childhood Strategic Plan Framework
Pennsylvania’s ECCS Maternal and Early Childhood Strategic Plan was developed to accomplish the ECCS Project goals. It aids in coordinating, implementing, and sustaining an equitable, comprehensive system to promotes early developmental health and family well-being to increase access to a robust health care system, meeting the complex needs of Pennsylvania’s diverse prenatal to 3 population. The ECCS Strategic Plan covers the period of January 2024 through July 2026. It further supports the mission of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) by reflecting and building upon the programs, services, and resources already in place to serve pregnant and parenting families of children ages birth to three.
The ECCS Strategic Plan was built with extensive input from the ECCS Advisory Committee and other maternal and early childhood partners, including family leaders. Concrete action steps are identified to address the gaps and barriers as found in the ECCS Systems Assets and Gap Analysis conducted in 2022. The ECCS Team will implement this plan as a living document to be updated as needed until July 2026, based on goals achieved, new priorities, and data from evaluation findings. This plan aligns with existing and newly developed strategic plans within OCDEL to ensure collaboration and sustainability of ECCS efforts after the end of this iteration of ECCS.
What can you do to support PA's ECCS Project?
- Share questions or ideas, and connect with the ECCS Leads
- Talk to your programs and partners and build awareness.
- Help the ECCS Leads connect with families and programs interested in engaging in project activities.
- If you are a family member interested in engaging in project activities, contact the ECCS Leads.