Successful Start

Rhode Island's Early Childhood Systems Building Initiative

Successful Start Early Childhood Systems Plan

Early childhood is a critical time of complex human development. Strong families and nurturing communities provide the foundation for children's healthy development, supporting success in school and later life.

Successful Start is a statewide, collaborative effort to strengthen Rhode Island's system of services for young children and families. The project is focused on four critical domains of early childhood health and development:

• Early Care & Education
• Medical Homes/Health Care
• Parent Education & Family Support
• Social-Emotional Development

Successful Start partners include state departments, community-based agencies, child care providers, health care and mental health professionals, advocates, and parents of young children.

The Successful Start Early Childhood Systems Plan is the result of a two-year strategic planning and systems building process undertaken by an enthusiastic group of partners working to improve Rhode Island's system of services for young children and families.

Successful Start partners are committed to the initiative and are dedicating their time and resources to moving the plan forward. Our work to build a better early childhood system is directed at realizing our vision that all children enter school healthy and ready to learn.

Vision
To create a comprehensive and coordinated early childhood system that supports families and communities in promoting positive early childhood development so that all children enter school healthy and ready to learn.

Mission
Successful Start partners will use Rhode Island's Early Childhood Systems Plan to ensure that all young children reach their full potential through a system of services that promotes healthy social-emotional development, quality early care and education, coordinated medical homes, and effective parent education and family support services.

Successful Start is supported by an Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.