Colorado Early Childhood
Comprehensive Systems:
Health Integration
Prenatal-to-three Project
Check out the Colorado Prenatal-to-Three Fiscal Map!
Advancing Systems of Care
The Colorado Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems: Health Integration Prenatal-to-three Project (CO-ECCS) is advancing the infrastructure, capacity, accessibility, and sustainability of Colorado’s maternal and child health and early childhood systems of care to achieve the vision that “all children are valued, healthy and thriving and have equal access to services, supports, and resources.”
The project’s five year plan is being implemented by Illuminate Colorado.
About the Project
Ensuring Successful Implementation
Illuminate Colorado is working collaboratively with key partners and agencies responsible for the delivery and coordination of prenatal-to-three (P-3) services to ensure the successful implementation of the CO-ECCS goals and activities.
Background About Funding
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded approximately $5.1 million through 20 cooperative agreements to states and non-profit organizations 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.
Colorado is among the 20 grantees awarded funds through HRSA’s ECCS Program to build state capacity and infrastructure to integrate and strengthen maternal and child health and early childhood systems.
Its particular focus on the prenatal-to-three development period maximizes the opportunity to reach and support families during the earliest stages of parenting. The grant, awarded to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood provides $255,600 annually for five years (2021-2026) to complete activities that will advance Colorado’s maternal and child health and early childhood systems of care and help Colorado achieve the vision that “All children are valued, healthy and thriving and have equal access to services, supports and resources.”
Guiding the Work In Colorado
To guide the implementation of CO-ECCS, the Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC), Colorado’s federally-authorized state advisory council for early childhood, approved the formation of the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Working Group on December 16, 2021 and subject to annual review and reauthorization.
Learn more about the ECCS Working Group.
Meetings & Events
Meetings of the ECCS Working group are scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of the month from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm MST. Three Implementation Teams, tasked with the work of the three goals of the project, meet as breakout groups during the scheduled ECCS Working Group meetings. The Implementation Teams are:
- Coordinated Intake and Referral Systems (CIRS)
- Early Childhood and Health Care Partnerships (Partnerships)
- Bridges to Access Planning (Access)
If you are interested, sign up work for an implementation team.
View the entire ECCS calendar. Use the ‘Category’ button to select ‘Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant’ and view all upcoming ECCS events.
Collaborating Partners
Over the past decade, hundreds of partners and more than 5,000 families have informed the advancement of Colorado’s early childhood and maternal child health systems.
The [Colorado Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems: Health Integration Prenatal-to-three Program] will build upon Colorado’s foundation to implement innovative and creative approaches that cut across federal, state, and local systems and services…
…the project will also strengthen the state infrastructure and capacity to serve children and families P-3 by integrating and aligning health services so that families are able to receive a full continuum of support during the most critical times in their child’s life.
Project Goals & Strategies
Collaborating partners are focused on achieving three goals over the course of five years.
The CO-ECCS Project advances specific goals and objectives within the preexisting statewide early childhood plan, Elevating Early Childhood, Colorado Statewide Early Childhood Strategic Plan, which places a particular emphasis on whole person health and well-being. Learn more about the Colorado Statewide Early Childhood Strategic Plan.
GOAL 1: Integrated Coordinated Intake and Referral Systems
Increase the engagement of new stakeholders, such as families and health providers in the system of wrap-around supports for families during pregnancy through the first three years of a child’s life.
Strategies
Integrated Coordinated Intake and Referral Systems
Family Voice in Integrated Systems
GOAL 2: Align Early Childhood and Maternal Child Health Systems
Align early childhood and maternal child health systems to advance the sustainability of multi-generational preventive services and systems.
Strategies
Prenatal-to-Three Policy
Sustainable Integrated Programming
GOAL 3: Advance Health Access
Advance health access by creating an Early Childhood Health Access Action Plan focused from the prenatal period through the first three years of a child’s life.
Strategy
Prenatal-to-Three Early Childhood Access Action Plan
Develop an Early Childhood Access Action Plan that advances health care access for all in the prenatal-to-three population and is a collaboration of the early childhood and maternal child health systems (Strategy 7.3.4).
CO-ECCS Working Group
The Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Working Group was approved by the ECLC in 2021 to guide the implementation of the Colorado Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems: Health Integration Prenatal-to-three Project (CO-ECCS).
ECCS Working Group Charter
The Working Group is charged as an advisory group for the ECCS Grant. The Working Group will engage stakeholders in the system of wrap-around supports for families during pregnancy through the first three years of a child’s life to ensure alignment of Colorado’s early childhood and maternal child health systems. In order to advance health equity of P-3 services, the Working Group will collect information and examine data from diverse partners to inform a P-3 Early Childhood Equity Action Plan.
Download the complete ECCS Working Group Charter
ECCS Working Group Members
CO-ECCS Working Group members include families and healthcare providers, as well as advocates, organizations, and agencies in both the maternal and child health and early childhood systems.
Meeting Schedule
The ECCS Working Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm MST. Be sure to join the ECCS mailing list to receive calendar invitations.
Links to join these meetings can also be found on the ECCS Working Group webpage and the event calendar. Use the ‘Category’ button to select ‘Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant’ and view all upcoming ECCS events. Meeting agendas will be posted as they become available. Other materials are available in the ECCS Working Group Shared Drive.
Goal Implementation Teams
Three implementation teams are tasked with completing activities to reach the goals of the CO-ECCS Project. Each implementation team meets in breakout sessions during regularly scheduled ECCS Working group meetings.
Coordinated Intake & Referral Systems
Early Childhood & Health Care Partnerships
Bridges to Access Planning
Project Materials
Strategic Plan
Download the full CO-ECCS Strategic Plan
Family Flyer
Download the family recruitment flyer
General Flyer
Download the general overview flyer
Professional Flyer
Download the health professional recruitment flyer
Past Newsletters
Products of the ECCS Working Group
To support the CO-ECCS Project deliverable of a Prenatal-to-Three Policy Recommendation Report, the CO-ECCS Project collaborated with the Community Innovation and Action Center (CIAC) and Children’s Funding Project (CFP) to produce a Prenatal-to-Three Fiscal Map. The Colorado Prenatal-to-Three Fiscal Map analyzes public funding from fiscal year 2024 and provides data about how Colorado leverages state and federal funding to target specific outcomes, services, and age groups.
The primary goals of the Colorado Prenatal-to-Three Fiscal Map are as follows:
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- Provide transparency on state and federal investments in supporting Colorado children and families
- Identify existing funding streams that can be aligned and leveraged
- Highlight the allocation of resource flow across relevant categories as it relates to the four domains of the Colorado Early Childhood Framework
Related Materials:
Get Involved
Interested in the CO-ECCS Project and the work of the ECCS Working Group? Subscribe to receive our monthly newsletter and emailed updates from us, including reminders and agendas for ECCS Working Group meetings, meeting notes and follow-up action items.
Backbone Support
Illuminate Colorado Early Childhood Initiatives team provides backbone support for the ECCS Grant.
After you subscribe for updates, we will reach out with more information to get you everything you need to get involved.
Questions?
Contact Mary Houlihan, Early Childhood Initiatives Manager
mhoulihan@illuminatecolorado.org
The CO-ECCS Project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award of the ECCS Program totaling $255,600 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
