SYSTEMS BUILDING
VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF A SYSTEM
The following illustrations of system building shows differences in how groups demonstrate their work. The examples are not all parallel efforts, but the variety shows the range and complexity of the components in an early childhood systems. These examples are intended to show the possibilities.
Systems Change Efforts 
- Charles Bruner, Child and Family Policy Center
Framework: Universal Child Needs and their Policy and Program Counterparts - State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network
Washington State Kids Matter Framework: Improving Outcomes for Children in Washington State
Pyramid for a Comprehensive System of Care 
- West Virginia's Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families
Early Childhood Comprehensive System Components and Partners - Health Systems Research
SYSTEM ELEMENTS
Building Comprehensive Early Childhood Systems: Pre-conference Resources
The May 8, 2007 Early Childhood Systems Building Pre-conference meetings sponsored by the Build Initiative and the Smart Start National Technical Assistance Center. The meeting focused on the work of the Early Childhood Systems Working Group in defining interconnections of an early childhood system (early care and education, family support, health, mental health and nutrition and early intervention) and elements for developing effective systems (culture competence and diversity, governance, communications, and financing).
Building State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems
The National Center for Infant and Early Childhood Health Policy at UCLA has published a series of 15 reports and policy briefs geared toward helping states implement the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems grant.
Overview of the State Maternal and Child Health Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau launched the ECCS 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.
SYSTEM CHANGE TOOLS
Babies and Toddlers in the Policy Picture: A Self-Assessment Checklist
Zero to Three has developed this checklist for states to use in assessing their policies for children under age 3. The goals of good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences form the framework of the self-assessment questions.
The Stages of Systemic Change
Beverly L. Parsons' "A Continuum of Systemic Change" defines six developmental stages and six key elements of change. While this paper assumes there is already a system in place to change, it offers insights into the developmental stages of systems reform.
Policy Matters
Policy Matters is an initiative of the Center for the Study of Social Policy. It attempts to offer coherent, comprehensive information regarding the strength and adequacy of state policies affecting children, families, and communities.
Pathways Mapping Initiative
This website outlines a logic model for ensuring the outcome: Children Ready for School. Its goal is to provide information on what has worked and to gain consensus by stakeholders on plausible strategies across disciplines and jurisdictions to ensure children are ready for school.
West Virginia's Pyramid of Care
The Pyramid of Care is a tool for examining the system of resources for children and families. It is based on a model originally circulated by the Children's Defense Fund. A pyramid is used to show that the majority of resources and expenditures should be made at the base of the pyramid.
STATE-OF-THE-STATES
Building Connections Resources: State case studies of early childhood system building
The system building efforts of six states, including Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Vermont, are profiled in Beyond Parallel Play: Emerging State and Community Planning Roles in Building Early Learning Systems and this cross-state summary matrix. These resources have been developed for the Building Connections meeting in June 2006, and relate specifically to state-community connections and governance issues.
Getting Every Child Ready for School: A Foundation for Success
This report from the Southern Regional Education Board outlines four successful strategies for high-quality early learning programs: (1) Offer pre-kindergarten to all children who are at risk of academic failure, not just those from families living in poverty; (2) Strive to meet quality standards; (3) Ensure that all children have a school-readiness assessment before they enter first grade; and (4) Continue to place a priority on programs that encourage vaccinations and health insurance for children.
The Role of States in Improving Health and Health Care for Young Children
Based on discussions with officials from all key child health care programs administered by states, this Commonwealth Fund report finds that successful quality improvement ultimately depends on changes to the culture, traditions, and practice patterns of the health care delivery system.
Going to Scale with High-Quality Early Education: Choices and Consequences in Universal Pre-Kindergarten Efforts
The movement toward universal pre-kindergarten (pre- K) presents many new challenges. Drawing on a review of the literature and interviews with pre-K personnel in a representative sample of eight states, this Rand report describes the challenges confronting states that are seeking to create statewide public systems of high-quality pre-K services.
Helping Young Children Succeed
This joint research and policy report developed by ZERO TO THREE and the National Conference of State Legislatures describes how state policy makers can support the healthy social-emotional development of young children from birth to age five.
STATE ANALYSES
Several states have catalogued the state- and federally-funded programs for early childhood development as a first step to improving coordination among these programs.
Building an Early Learning System. The ABCs of Planning and Governance Structures
This publication, developed by The Child and Family Policy Center, in collaboration with the Build Initiative, shares state models and rules of thumb to consider in developing planning and governance approaches to create and manage an early learning system.
The Build Initiative developed a companion policy brief, which is intended for policy makers and others who may not want to read through all of the details in the full publication.
Wisconsin Collaborating Partners shows how funds flow from the federal government, to state government to programs for children. This map includes Head Start, child care, IDEA, Title 1, and USDA funding streams for early education. Click on any program to find out more about the program.
Systems Change and School Readiness
In California, systems change was sparked by a $413 million school readiness initiative called First 5. The publications on their web site are intended to help stakeholders work more efficiently and effectively.
ARCHIVED SYSTEMS MATERIALS
Creating an Early Learning System
Joan Lombardi describes an early learning system based on five components: time, parent information and support; early learning programs (0-5); professional development systems; community support systems; and child care assistance/tuition assistance.
Back to Basics: Essential Components of an American Early Care and Education System
Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan acknowledges there is no accepted definition of an early care and education system. She outlines her vision of an early childhood system, defining the eight essential components, and providing concrete suggestions for New York's efforts to build a system for Universal PreK.
State Initiatives to Promote Early Learning: Next Steps in Coordinating Subsidized Child Care, Head Start, and State Prekindergarten
States often struggle with two key social goals: the need to promote school readiness for children and the need to support working families given increasing labor force participation among mothers with young children. This paper, written by Rachel Schumacher, Mark Greenberg and Joan Lombardi, describes the challenges states face in addressing these issues, responses to these challenges, and recommendations for the future.
Full Report
Policy Brief
Georgia description
Massachusetts description
Ohio description
