NOI_W27009.docx

Department of Public Health Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems:

Scaling Effective Early Childhood Systems Development (ECCS SEED) Notice of Intent: NOI/Waiver 27009

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition (BFHN) is applying to the Health Resources and Services Administration’s notice of funding opportunity #26-057 Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems SEED Project: Scaling Effective Early Childhood Systems Development (ECCS SEED). HRSA will award 8 grants nationally for up to $875,000 for 5 years.

The grant program aims to improve access to high-quality, coordinated care for families from pregnancy through age 5. The program strengthens early childhood systems by identifying family needs early–like mental health support, parenting education, and food and housing assistance–and connecting both children and caregivers to high-quality services. By supporting families during the earliest and most critical years of a child's development, ECCS SEED helps prevent chronic disease and supports lifelong health. Required core activities of the grant are:

· Establish or expand Centralized Intake and Referral Systems (CIRS) that assess families’ needs and connect them to appropriate health and human services

· Implement a community-wide, evidence-based, early childhood model to improve well-child visits, developmental screening, parent-child relationships, and child flourishing

· Provide state, Tribe, or territory early childhood systems leadership

· Plan for long-term systems sustainability

Grant expectations also stipulate applicants to select one high-need community of focus, of a county size or larger, in which to implement the core grant requirements. In addition, funding priority will be given to applicants who select a community of focus with the highest rates of infant mortality.

The purpose of this notice is to publicize DPH/BFHN’s intent to submit a federal grant application naming Criterion Child Enrichment as a partner to fulfill the grant’s requirement to implement an evidence-based early childhood model. DPH/BFHN intends to contract with Criterion Child Enrichment to expand on its Welcome Family program by hiring an Outreach Specialist to build connections between the CIRS and the community-wide evidence-based model. Criterion Child Enrichment is uniquely qualified as its Welcome Family program meets the grant expectations to: deliver an existing evidence-based model at the county level that serves as an entry point into a system of care for families with newborns; in the MA county with the highest rates of infant mortality. Hampden County has the highest rates of infant mortality in Massachusetts and Criterion Child Enrichment runs the only evidence-based universal postpartum home-visiting program, Welcome Family, in Hampden County.

If you have equal qualifications to the organization mentioned above and would like to be considered for partnership on this grant, send qualifications along with any questions or comments with the subject line: Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems SEED Project in writing to Claudia Catalano at Claudia.Catalano@mass.gov by July 6, 2026 at 4PM EDT.