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Early Childhood Education & Care

Boston Children’s Office of Community Health has a long history of supporting families with young children through community programs and partnerships. In Fall 2018, as part of our Collaboration for Community Health, we launched the Birth to Five Child Health and Development Initiative, investing $17 million over 10 years to support early childhood education and care partnerships and programs in Greater Boston. The funded partners in this initiative focus on family engagement, capacity building, and efforts to improve systems and structures to better support children and families.

In July 2020, in connection with the Birth to Five Initiative, the Boston Childcare Support Initiative was developed to support early education providers in the communities most impacted by COVID. The majority of the providers and the children and families they serve live in marginalized communities and are Black or Latino. This initiative is addressing racial justice and equity as well as supporting a key backbone of our economy in Boston. While the 12 months of funding for the providers in this initiative has completed, we continue to provide education resources and support. We also work closely with partners in City and State government to collaborate and support continued financial and structural efforts for early education providers.

Resources

COVID testing

  • Click here or go to https://www.maearlyedtesting.com/ for details on free pool testing for early education programs. This testing program provides weekly COVID testing for early educators, staff, and children.
  • Click here for details from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for general COVID testing guidance for childcare providers and the families they serve.

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care COVID resources

COVID vaccine information

Early childhood parenting and educator resources

  • The Brazelton Touchpoints Center has many resources for parents including articles and webinars produced by the center.
  • The Basics is a toolkit for families and educators to support healthy development of children birth to three.
  • Families First has parenting trainings, resources, and other supports.
  • The Boston Family Engagement Network is a groups of organizations across greater Boston that provide virtual and in-person play groups, family supports, and resources.

Early childhood mental health resources