Building self-sufficient families. 

The pressures of day-to-day life can make it difficult for a parent or caregiver of young children to maintain balance. Add to this the stresses associated with dealing with mental health issues, a challenging personal history or difficulty maintaining a steady income, and things can become overwhelming very quickly. The Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) is a community-based, collaborative program that helps families facing these stressors become stable and self-sufficient. ECI serves pregnant women and caregivers of children under the age of 12 months in four Dane County areas (see below).

How does ECI work?

Families involved with ECI meet weekly with a Family Support Specialist (FSS) in their home or another convenient place to

• Provide information about child development and growth
• Help their child reach developmental milestones by doing parent-child activities
• Strengthen their relationship with their child and other family members
• Help families overcome barriers that are preventing them from achieving their goals
• Work with families to make sure their basic needs are met, including access to key services such as prenatal care, medical care, energy services, rent assistance, food pantries

Families involved with ECI also meet with an Employment and Education Specialist (EES) to

• Develop a resume
• Obtain training or education
• Search and apply for jobs
• Receive ongoing support in maintaining employment

ECI offers additional opportunities such as

• Benefits assistance — an Economic Support Specialist from the Dane County Job Center works from each ECI site to help families with FoodShare, Child Care Assistance, BadgerCare Plus and other benefits
• Additional education — A UW-Extension educator provides education and support concerning  nutrition, breastfeeding and budgeting
• Family fun — regular family gatherings, such as family meals, picnics and educational events

What do families involved in ECI learn?

Because of ECI's individualized approach to goal-setting, families determine what areas are most important to them. Family Support Specialists, along with ECI partners at the UW-Extension, Employment and Training Association, the University of Wisconsin Department of Psychiatry and Dane County Job Center tailor visits to meet each family's needs based on their goals. Areas addressed include 

• Benefits of setting personal and family goals for greater family stability and increased self-esteem 
• How to manage recurring stumbling blocks in order to achieve goals
• How childhood experiences impact us later in life
• How a safe, healthy and nurturing environment benefits a child's development
• How to prepare a young child emotionally and intellectually for school
• How stable relationships and support from others can make parenting more enjoyable
• How to choose affordable nutritious foods when planning family meals
• Ways to enhance employment options through job-skills training, networking and developing an effective resume
• Community resources available to enhance child development and safety

How does ECI benefit the community?

• The relationship between parents and children during the first years of life impacts growth and development, self-esteem, school performance and life achievements. ECI staff work with caregivers of young children to enhance parenting skills and support healthy parent-child relationships, building stronger families.
• Parents are their children's first and most important teachers and role models. Parents who maintain steady employment provide a strong role model for their children as well as an overall sense of stability for their families. ECI staff work with families to obtain, stabilize or maintain family employment.
• ECI staff conduct regular developmental assessments with families. Early screening for, and detection of, developmental disabilities allows for more effective intervention and better outcomes for children.
• Social isolation can cause depression and can lead to unhealthy ways of managing stress and anxiety. ECI links families to one another and provides a network of support so families have more options and resources to call on when experiencing hard times.
• Families with low-incomes are at risk for experiencing negative health outcomes due to lack of information or connection to services. ECI provides in-home health education and consultation on topics as varied as birth control, nutrition and breastfeeding, as well as referrals to appropriate health care providers.

Who is eligible?

To participate in ECI families must live in one of the following areas

•        The Allied Drive area of Madison including: Allied Drive, Red Arrow Trail, Britta Parkway, King James Way and more
•        The Russett Road area of Madison including: Russett Road, Hammersley, Balsam, Elver Park, Schroeder Road, Raymond Road and more
•        The city of Sun Prairie
•        The Leopold Way area of Madison including: Post Road, Coho, Leopold Way, Greenway Cross and more

Families must also

•        Be pregnant or
•        Have a child under the age of 12 months

Once in the program, families can participate until their child turns three years old.

Know of someone who could benefit from Early Childhood Initiative?
Download this pdf and simply fax it to us.