The first five years of life are a time of unparalleled change in the brains and abilities of young children. All families need access to a wide range of services and supports that are responsive to the family, cultural, and linguistic contexts to promote healthy development. Additionally, some families need specialized services to mitigate risk factors or address problems young children may experience. Our early childhood efforts are committed to bridging the gap between what researchers and practitioners know is effective and what is available in communities for young children and their families. We work at multiple levels to translate evidence-based and best practice knowledge into practical, meaningful, and functional implementation strategies.

Our Center engages in Community and Clinical Services by partnering with community-based organizations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area that serve young children with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities, their families, and their caregivers. We provide diagnostic services and interventions in homes and community-based settings. Our Research and Evaluation activities build the early childhood research base and provide research-informed guidance to states and communities on effective strategies and interventions. Ultimately, we strive to improve the linkages between research, policy, and practice. Our Center’s Technical Assistance (TA) is designed to translate knowledge into practice through customized consultations to organizations, communities, and government entities. The TA is highly individualized and focuses on building the capacity of states, tribes, communities, and service providers to change policies, programs, and practices. We also conduct extensive Workforce Development for those working with infants, toddlers, young children, and their families. We offer a wide variety of learning opportunities through different formats such as guest lectures, academic courses, on-line modules, and Certificate programs to meet the needs of learners at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.  

Selected Activities

Community and Clinical Services

• Parenting Support Program
• DC Early Childhood Innovation Network

Research and Evaluation

• Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Needs Assessment
  
DC Social Emotional and Early Development (SEED) Project
A four year Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) System of Care Expansion and Sustainability Cooperative Agreement was awarded to the DC Department of Behavioral Health in 2016 to address the needs of young children (birth-6) who were at-risk for or diagnosed with serious emotional disturbance (SED). GUCCHD led a mixed methods evaluation to support the project's. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the community-based clinical teams shifted to delivering early childhood mental health treatment services via telehealth. The evaluation team helped document these innovations in a published paper.

Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Formula Evaluation
The DC Department of Health contracts with GUCCHD to evaluate the federal dollars it receives from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support MIECHV home visiting supports within the District of Columbia.

Technical Assistance

• Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Technical Assistance Center (IECMH TA Center)
National Head Start Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW)
Federal Home Visiting TA Center: HV ImpACT
TA for Early Childhood Systems of Care through TA Network
TA Network

Workforce Development

• Georgetown University Graduate Certificate in Early Intervention Program
Early Childhood Intervention Professional Development Center
Contemporary Practices in Early Intervention
Adapting an Evidenced-Based Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Model (ECMHC) for DC Preschool and PreK  a project funded by Fight for Children adapted the ECMHC model developed by Georgetown’s Center for Child and Human for implementation in early childhood classrooms in DC public charter schools.