This policy brief describes the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative, a policy designed to improve early childhood programs to ensure that all children arrive at school healthy and ready to learn. The SECCS is intended to help states build a bridge from birth to school and addresses how states will support children and…

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau launched the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative to promote the healthy development and school readiness of young children. This brief is a planning tool designed to assist states in conducting strategic planning throughout the initiative. It is organized into seven steps as…

If early childhood systems are to be effective at the population level then they must be able to provide family-centered care to all the racial, ethnic and cultural groups that they serve. Despite major policy driven and technological advances in healthcare, health disparities across different races and ethnicities persist. For example, the infant…

In compliance with California's Proposition 10 (Children and Families First Act), county commissions are being asked to monitor what differences the family support programs they are funding are making in the lives of the children and families they serve. Each commission has the responsibility of selecting a set of indicators to measure the impact…

This report is designed to support the planning and implementation of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative. It addresses a set of principles that these agencies can use to advance their planning process, reach out to new partners, develop collaborative strategies, and build a…

Reviews the unique health care needs of children in the out-of-home care system and the standards developed over the past decade to deliver comprehensive health care services to this population. Raises key policy and practice questions for each standard to facilitate effective implementation of recommendations makes suggestions for future research…

Although most American infants and young children receive adequate well-child care, they may not receive needed help if developmental problems arise. This report examines primary health care services that promote infant/child development and suggests ways to improve those services as part of routine primary child health care. The report details…

This report, seventh of eight in a series, discusses the views of California parents about the significance of a child's early years, their preparation for parenting, and how well their communities meet their child care needs. The California Center for Health Improvement's (CCHI) Children and Youth Survey asked California parents several questions…

This policy brief discusses the critical role of family support and how family support programs can help to improve care for young children. It presents an overview of what family support entails, information about financing family support services, and strategies to enhance family support through the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems…

This brief outlines both the national and state environments and summarizes the opportunities and challenges that need to be taken into account as states move forward to develop comprehensive early childhood systems. It is adapted from and summarizes a full report entitled "Planning for the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative…

This report, eighth and last in a series, discusses the important role community groups and leaders, schools, and employers play in providing children and parents support and encouragement. It reports the opinions of California adults, expressed in a survey conducted by the California Center for Health Improvement (CCHI), about a variety of issues…

As part of a series of reports designed to support the implementation of Proposition 10: The California Children and Families Act and to provide comprehensive and authoritative information on critical issues concerning young children and families in California, this report reviews the research about early childhood brain development, examines the…