Maryland’s Early Childhood
Comprehensive Systems (ECCS)
Grant Program
Yvette McEachern and Dona Jo Ponn
Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Prevention and Health Promotion Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Office of Family Planning and Home Visiting
Maryland Early Childhood Advisory Council Meeting
March 27, 2014
Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
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MISSION AND VISION:
PHPA
MISSION

The mission of the Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
is to protect, promote and improve the health and well-being of all
Marylanders and their families through provision of public health
leadership and through community-based public health efforts in
partnership with local health departments, providers, community based
organizations, and public and private sector agencies, giving special
attention to at-risk and vulnerable populations.
VISION

The Prevention and Health Promotion Administration envisions a future
in which all Marylanders and their families enjoy optimal health and wellbeing.
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DHMH Maternal and Child
Health Bureau
Women, Infant and Children’s Program
(WIC)
 Title V Program Offices:
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Office of Genetics and People with Special
Health Care Needs
Office of Surveillance and Quality
Initiatives
Office of Family Planning and Home
Visiting
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Office of Family Planning
and Home Visiting

Title X Family Planning Program
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Reproductive Health
Teen Pregnancy Prevention

MIECHV Home Visiting Program

Title V Child and Adolescent Health Programs
(prevention programs)
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Early Childhood Coordination (ECCS)
Adolescent Health Coordination (Abstinence Education)
Title V Planning, Coordination and Administration
Project LAUNCH- Title V Co- Lead
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The Early Childhood
Comprehensive Systems Grant
(ECCS)
Early Childhood Comprehensive
Systems Grant

MD’s Title V Agency is the grant recipient

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It is a systems grant focused on building
infrastructure services, no direct services

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ECCS is a Title V SPRANS grant
Key focus on integration activities and use of collective
impact strategies
Targets birth to age three
Goal has been to increase health and developmental
trajectories for children; to use the latest scientific
findings on early experiences and brain development
to improve health and developmental outcomes
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ECCS in Maryland,
2003-2004

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Maryland has had an ECCS grant since 2003
Initial focus on planning

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In 2003-2004, Maryland’s ECCS program
collaborated with other child serving agencies and
programs statewide to develop a strategic plan for
improving Maryland’s early childhood health
system
The original ECCS state plan is now blended into
Maryland’s ECAC plan for school readiness
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ECCS in Maryland,
2005-2012

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From 2005-2012, ECCS focused on
implementation
Major accomplishments included:
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Support of early childhood activities including:
SEFEL training, Health Consultation Training,
Home Visiting Conference Keynote, focus groups
with pediatricians and pediatric dentists, asthma
and oral health activities in child care and various
medical home/AAP projects.
Ready at Five “Young African American Male
Initiative”
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ECCS in Maryland,
2013-2015


New three year project period
Builds on four broad ECCS goals:

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Improve physical, social and emotional health of
infants and toddlers
Eliminate disparities
Increase access to early childhood services
through systems development
Improve the quality and availability of early
childhood services- State and local levels
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ECCS in Maryland,
2013-2015

New systems building directives:
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Enhance efforts of MIECHV
Build statewide longitudinal early childhood
data across early childhood investments
and MIECHV
Sustainability planning and CQI
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ECCS in Maryland
2013-2015

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$140,000 annually
It supports:
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a full-time ECCS Coordinator
a part-time Project LAUNCH Young Child
Wellness Partner
small grants to selected vendors
Annual funding cycle: August 1st to July
31st
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ECCS in Maryland, 2013-2015
REQUIREMENTS

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Select a focus area
Align ECCS plans and activities with
MIECHV, LAUNCH, Title V and the
State Advisory Council
Report on statewide data that aligns
with MIECHV benchmarks
Partner with an Early Childhood State
Team (Linkage with AAP is key)
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Early Childhood State Team
Suggested Representation

Health:
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Title V
Local health
FQHCs
Medicaid
ACOG
AAP
Women’s Health
Infant Mortality

Mental & Beh.
Health:

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LAUNCH
Children’s Mental
Health
Substance abuse
prevention
Pediatric/infant
mental health
providers
Early Childhood State
Team

Education & Early
Care:
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Race to the Top
IDEA
SAC
Child Care
Head Start
Healthy Child Care
Child Care Resource
Agencies

Family Support &
Home Visiting:
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MIECHV
Strengthening
Families
Child abuse
prevention
Child welfare
Domestic violence
ABCD
ECCS in Maryland:
CURRENT PLAN AND
ACTIVITIES
Priority Focus Area:
Three Options

Mitigation of toxic stress and trauma

Developmental screening activities

Improvements of State Quality Ratings and
Improvement System
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Maryland’s Focus
2013-2015
Mitigation of Toxic Stress and
Trauma in Infancy and Early
Childhood
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Focus Area Requirements

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Educate EC providers, families/ caregivers about
early brain development, ACEs and mitigation of
toxic stress (pilot community)
Enhance existing state/local early childhood
systems (LAUNCH, Futures without Violence,
MIECHV, etc.)
Convene or work with an existing early childhood
trauma mitigation team
Implement strategy across two or more early
childhood systems (e.g., child care, home visiting)
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Strategy Requirements
(Continued)

Identify a target/pilot area for year one
implementation

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Dorchester County
Develop/implement screening projects for
young children/families at risk (TBD)
Promote supportive and treatment services
for families with trauma or at risk (TBD)
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The Work Plan

To educate a broad range of early childhood
providers, families/caregiver, communities
and stakeholders:
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One page fact sheets/brochures
Presentations
Website
Partner, partner, partner
Summit (TBD)
Starting with pilot community- Dorchester
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The Work Plan

To enhance state and local early childhood
systems, including MIECHV and Project
LAUNCH


Mothers and Babies Project – addresses maternal
depression; ECCS supports training for MIECHV
home visitors
 Key Partners: Center for Infant Study; Dr.
Darius Tandon
Support for LAUNCH Young Child Wellness
Partner
Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
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The Work Plan

To convene or work with an existing
early childhood trauma mitigation team

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Working with Early Childhood Mental
Health Steering Committee
ECCS leadership team within DHMH
Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
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Mothers and Babies Project

Led by Dr. Darius Tandon

Continuation of research on a trial in 4 Baltimore city home
visiting programs.

Training intervention staff on Mother’s and Babies course and
overseeing project implementation

One on one format. 24~15 minute segments that could be
integrated into a home visit or done as supplemental visit.

Implementation in Baltimore County and Eastern Shore
including Dorchester County

Conduct pre-post assessments with participating families.
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Center for Infant Study

Led by Kay Connors

To support training with home visitors on selfcare and reflective supervision

Coaching supervisors on how to supervise
and sustain trauma and attachment informed
practice in home visiting
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The Work Plan

Finally we hope to:

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Meet the requirement to strengthen our
ability to aggregate, align and report on
statewide early childhood data
Work with partners to identify early
childhood health investments in MD
Further examine early childhood health
needs through the 2015 Title V needs
assessment
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The Final Ask

Can ECAC continue to serve
as the ECCS Early
Childhood State Team?
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Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
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Thanks for Listening!
QUESTIONS?
Contact Information
Dona Jo Ponn, MS., Ed
Early Childhood Coordinator
dona.ponn@maryland.gov
410-767-6715
Yvette McEachern, MA
Chief, Title V MCH Program
Yvette.McEachern@maryland.gov
410-767-5824
Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
[March 27,2014]
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Prevention and
Health Promotion
Administration
http://phpa.dhmh.maryland.gov
Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
[Date]
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