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The Early Learning Nation Collective is thrilled that you have decided to embark on a journey to become or grow an Early Learning Community.

Before you start, we recommend watching this informational video to help guide you as you use the Tool. You may also want to read through some key terms before you begin the Assessment.

Goal 2.2 Examples of Communities in Action

Rochester, NY

In 2014, the City of Rochester funded the Get Ready to GROW Rochester initiative to provide developmental screenings for children in familiar settings. The program trains local early care and education providers to conduct consistent and accurate screenings and offers guidance on effective communication with families. Since its inception, GROW has screened over 10,000 children, with navigators providing follow-up support to access further evaluations and services. In 2019, GROW adopted the Help Me Grow model to enhance cross-sector partnerships and community impact. By 2022, the program had expanded to become Get Ready to GROW Finger Lakes.

Goal 2.2 Sample Action Steps

Level 1

Survey providers to find out how many, how regularly, where, and which developmental screenings are being conducted to determine which children in the community are less likely to be screened.
Ensure that health care professionals, child care providers, and home visitors have access to screening tools and are trained on how to administer them and communicate the results to parents and caregivers in a strengths-based, culturally responsive manner.
Provide a directory of community resources, accessible to anyone who is administering screenings, to help guide referrals when needed.
Assess the ways in which stigma is a barrier for some families to accept or seek out screening, and work to reduce that stigma by communicating that screening is for everyone, that screening results will only be used to refer a child or family for additional support and that early intervention can reduce the need for other services later on.

Level 2

Hire and train community liaisons to bring screenings to families who do not participate in formal child care or home visiting programs. Community liaisons should be locally identified and familiar with community practices.
Make a variety of culturally responsive screening tools available, in multiple languages, for parents and informal care providers (family, friend, and neighbor care providers) to check out from the library along with instructions for use and a directory of community resources for following up on identified concerns.
Educate parents about the importance of developmental screenings (and their availability for children covered by Medicaid) and encourage them to seek it out through their pediatrician or other provider.

Level 3

Implement a citywide, countywide, or regional phone number or website for referrals for use by providers, parents, or anyone administering developmental screenings.
Track the number and types of referrals coming from different population groups and neighborhoods within the community, and use that data to focus services and/or outreach on populations identified as underserved. Track the proportion of referrals completed and the length of time to completion.
Have a cross-sector early childhood collaborative group monitor results for quality improvement of services and review of community needs.

Levels

Level 1
Level 1 describes the starting point and is the first thing a community will want to establish on their path to reaching that goal. In many cases, the first level involves assessing the current situation in order to identify strengths and areas of need.

Level 2
Level 2 describes a community that is taking proactive steps and making some progress toward the goal. This may include communities where progress has been made in pockets, but those efforts are not benefiting the whole community yet.

Level 3
Finally, Level 3 indicates that a community has invested time, energy, and resources toward reaching this goal and is integrating its efforts across the early childhood system and with other sectors.

Not Started
If you or your organization have not begun assessing or considering a goal, please mark your level as “Not Started.”