Innovating and co-creating transformation in early childhood education and health in the Washington, DC region and to catalyze national change

The Early Childhood Innovation Network (ECIN) is a local collaborative of health and education providers, community-based organizations, researchers, and advocates in Washington, DC. Our vision is that all children and families thrive in vibrant and nurturing parent-led communities through authentic and collaborative partnerships.

We co‑create, implement and sustain evidence‑based, equity‑centered early intervention programs that demonstrate outcomes (both at the program level and in policy) by:

Mobilize parent leadership

we transform parents into leaders in family healing and mental health advocacy

Cross-discipline collaboration

we bridge early learning and primary pediatric care settings.

Maintain cultural grounding

we ground our intervention in Washington D.C’s culture and communities.

Connect financial and mental wellness

we promote economic resilience and upward mobility.

Turn innovation into practice

we develop an evidence-base for best practices in early childhood intervention.

Build sustainably

we create programs that can be maintained and self-sustain for years to come.

For a decade, ECIN has built and sustained innovative programs to support children and families in the most vulnerable circumstances.

Learn more about our programs

Beginnings

“You can hire a million people, but always remember that how things begin is how they end up”

- Ms. Jo Patterson

President of Parent Watch and ECIN Founding Community Leader

In 2015, a group of local physicians and community leaders came together with a common goal to improve the systems of care that impact young children and families living in under-resourced areas of the city. ECIN’s mission then and now is to strengthen the foundational elements for children and families to build life-long health and well-being.

Since its founding, ECIN has grown to include Children’s Law Center, George Washington University, Georgetown University Thrive Center, Health Alliance Network, Parent Watch, SPACEs in Action, and Total Family Care Coalition.

Read a case study about our impact during our first five years

“Nothing about us, without us”

ECIN engages in authentic community engagement and co-creation, treating community members as equal co‑creators and community leaders as colleagues.

As ECIN concludes our first decade and launches into the next, we would like to thank the many parents, children, teachers, community partners, clinicians, researchers, and policy advocates who make this work impactful.

Our team

Launched in 2016, ECIN began as a joint effort between Dr. Lee Beers of Children’s National Hospital and Dr. Matt Biel of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Since its founding, ECIN has grown to include Children’s Law Center, Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, George Washington University, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, Health Alliance Network, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Parent Watch, and Total Family Care Coalition.