The Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) project aims to address the needs of all children from birth through eight in the District of Columbia (DC).  The ECCS Program strives to engage stakeholders “to create a more unified and comprehensive child development system that helps children in all of the District’s eight Wards regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and development and behavioral needs to be healthy and ready to learn when they enter kindergarten.”

ECCS has two basic goals: (1) to develop within the District cross service systems integration partnerships to enhance children’s ability to enter school healthy and ready to learn; and (2) to begin building an early childhood service system in the District that addresses the following priority areas:  access to health and medical homes; mental health and social-emotional development; early care and education/child care; parent education; and family support.