About Us - History
Since its founding in 1986, Early Childhood Associates, Inc. has been an active leader in applying innovative educational theory to the fields of early literacy, early childhood education, special education, family literacy, and early childhood mental health. We have received national recognition for our quality products and services, and have maintained an enduring commitment to children, families, and practitioners alike.
In the mid 1990s, Early Childhood Associates, Inc. designed the highly-acclaimed JumpStart Family Literacy Curriculum, a cross-cultural, activity-based curriculum for preschoolers, kindergartners, families, teachers, and caretakers. Launched with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR), JumpStart is used by programs all over the country. An account of the development of JumpStart is featured in the book, A Pattern for Success, published by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Offices of Technology and Women’s Business Ownership.
Early Childhood Associates, Inc. received a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract to develop Steps to Success: An Instructional Design for Early Literacy Mentor-Coaches in Head Start and Early Head Start. Steps to Success offers an intensive yet flexible professional development strategy to improve the quality of direct service provided by staff in all types of early education and care settings. In addition to providing mentor-coaching training within Massachusetts, ECA is implementing the Steps to Success program in two Early Reading First projects in Michigan.
Early Childhood Associates, Inc.’s reputation is built on implementing effective programs and conducting high-quality, evidence-based research on many different scales. In the fall of 1998, we were selected to conduct a five-year statewide evaluation of a state Even Start Family Literacy Program. Through this work, we created the Guide to Assess the Quality of Family Literacy Programs, a program self-reflection tool that supports continuous quality improvement. Early Childhood Associates, Inc. continues to be the statewide evaluator for the Massachusetts Even Start Family Literacy program, researching timely questions such as the effect Even Start participation has on children’s subsequent MCAS performance.
Early Childhood Associates, Inc. demonstrated its commitment to supporting young children with mental health concerns by publishing the Children’s Support Services manual in 2007 and writing a successful federal Foundations for Learning grant to replicate the program in a Massachusetts urban community. The Massachusetts Department of Education cited the Children Support Services model, a multidisciplinary mental health initiative targeting young children who exhibit significant social and emotional development concerns, as a “best practices” in 2001. Subsequently, in 2002 and 2006 respectively, Children’s Support Services was heralded as an “exemplary model” by the Children’s Defense Fund and the Association for Childhood Education International.
Early Childhood Associates, Inc. has worked successfully with all aspects of the early education and care field, including Head Start, family child care providers, center based programs, and family literacy programs. Currently, ECA is involved in a number of innovative initiatives with the special education departments of several public schools. These include providing teacher training on assessment and inclusionary practices and facilitating a Recognition and Response project for early childhood screening.
During its two decades of service, Early Childhood Associates, Inc. has successfully completed over a dozen major curriculum development projects, created over two dozen learning programs at state and local levels, and consulted on scores of community collaboration and school restructuring projects. We have written countless grants for communities and programs on the local, state, and national levels, advised innumerable school administrators and teachers on the needs of children with disabilities and ESOL learners, and designed/evaluated almost every major family literacy and parent support program in Massachusetts. The work of Early Childhood Associates, Inc. has positively impacted thousands of families and individuals, including practitioners and administrators at every level of educational service.
