Child-care infrastructure is critical to the city’s economy and the sectors of education and public health. Yet not all families can access this critical infrastructure. The Birth to Eight Collaborative is working to expand access to high-quality early education and care for the families who need it most. Family Child Care entrepreneurs provide families with culturally affirming, flexible care that meets their needs. In partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement and Shared Services of Massachusetts, we are focused on expanding and strengthening Family Child Care in Boston.

Developmental screening of young children helps to identify where they are thriving and areas where they may need additional support. Before the pandemic, it was important for young children to be screened so that they could be connected to services. Since the pandemic, that need has become critical. Young children and their families have been separated from the activities and services that help them grow and develop. Ensuring that each child is screened and connected to the supports they need guarantees that all children are ready for sustained success in kindergarten and beyond. In partnership with DRIVE, we are working to screen and connect every child in Boston.

Family engagement is a critical element in high-quality child-centered and family-serving organizations. When done well, effective family engagement builds strong relationships between program providers and families that enable parents/caregivers to feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and receiving feedback. In turn, families that are engaged in their children’s early education and care programs participate actively leading to improved child outcomes, better attendance, and stronger programs.

The early childhood sector is diverse and complex. Much of the early childhood policy and programming is driven by the state and federal government. In recent years, Boston has complemented these resources with its own investments in Universal Pre-K (UPK) and in strengthening family childcare options. The complexities of early care and learning and successful alignment to the K-12 system call for careful and consistent attention to various systems and components: family supports and engagement, childcare, developmental screening and early intervention, preventative health care, workforce development, etc. The Birth to Eight Collaborative is working to develop the infrastructure for aligning and assessing early education and care & K–12 systems.

Through our research and advocacy on early education and care, the Birth to Eight Collaborative is working to raise the visibility of and investment in early education and care for policymakers, philanthropy and the business community. We report annually on the supply, demand, quality and affordability of childcare in Boston as well as other critical issues that impact the sector.