Embedding Equity in Early Childhood Initiatives
Embedding Equity in Early Childhood Initiatives
This brief presents lessons about how initiatives that are founded on doing work equitably are handling multiple adversities (e.g., racism, the COVID-19 pandemic, and decreased funding) in cross-sector early childhood health equity initiatives, derived from interviews with eight community or state initiatives. Part of a larger project entitled the Early Childhood Health Equity Landscape Project (ECHE), this brief – and several companion briefs – aim to highlight promising strategies for addressing key issues such as sustainability, data use, state and local relationships, cross-sector partnerships, and operationalizing health equity within the context of early childhood health equity initiatives. The Early Childhood Health Equity Landscape (ECHE) Project Team administered the ECHE Landscape Survey, a nationwide survey of initiatives focusing on health equity for children under eight years of age and their families. Respondents from initiatives answered questions about their initiative’s work, including which health-related topics it addressed, what sectors were involved, which funding sources are available, and the initiative’s approaches to addressing inequities in well-being. This brief highlights how eight initiatives have set equitable goals and outcomes, the supports that they and their communities received, the barriers they faced in maintaining a focus on equity, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and racism on their work.
