Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities

National Center for Infant and

Early Childhood Health Policy

Evidence shows that experiences in the first years of life are extremely important for a child’s healthy development and life-long learning trajectory. Furthermore, how a child develops during this time affects subsequent cognitive, social, emotional and physical development, and this impacts the child’s readiness for school and later success in life. In addition, research on a number of adult health and medical conditions points to pre-disease pathways that have their origins in early childhood. Thus, it is critical to improve the quality and integration of services targeted to young children and their families through collaboration between the health, child care and early education, mental health, parenting education and family support sectors currently serving this population.

Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) from 1997 to 2005, the National Center for Infant and Early Childhood Health Policy supported federal, state and local early childhood agendas and assisted MCH agencies to play an important role in the development of comprehensive, integrated early childhood service systems. The Center developed and disseminated strategic planning tools as well as reports and policy briefs on topics relating to the improvement of early childhood services for all children. The Center analyzed data on programs and services for young children and families to inform national, state, and local policy development.

The National Center achieved these goals through an active collaboration between UCLA, the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), the Women and Children’s Health Policy Center at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to leverage each organization’s expertise, resources and relationships.