Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health System (Nemours) and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profound and likely long-lasting impacts on children, youth and families. It has created and exacerbated negative impacts across every aspect of life: mental and physical health, suicidal ideation, learning loss, food insecurity, poverty, a diminished childcare sector, housing insecurity and homelessness, skyrocketing youth unemployment, and growing racial and economic inequities. The American Rescue Plan (P.L. 117-2) makes critical down payments to address these deep challenges and support the resilience of children and youth. The American Families Plan proposes additional, once in a generation investments in children and youth. To most effectively implement the provisions in the American Rescue Plan and build out a bold agenda that can successfully optimize equity, health, and well-being for children and youth over time, we need coordinated, sustained federal leadership.

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Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health System (Nemours) and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

The  Building a Systems Change Initiative Theory of Change helps to visually organize the focal areas and intended outcomes of systems change initiatives. This version provides annotations to guide users through the process to develop their own Theory of Change for their systems change initiative and includes specific examples using Nemours’ Harnessing Opportunity for Positive, Equitable Early Childhood Development Project (Project HOPE).  Click here for the resource.

This fillable form for the Building a Systems Change Initiative Theory of Change can be downloaded here separately without annotations. This version allows users to enter their systems change initiative focal areas and intended outcomes into a shareable PDF file. The organization completing this theory of change can also place their logo in the bottom right corner of the fillable form. Click here for the fillable form. (Right click to save the fillable form to your computer.)

Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health System (Nemours) and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

Our nation is currently facing critical issues that amplify the need for policy and systems change, especially those that impact the health and well-being of young children and their families. In order to effectively improve policies and systems, data are essential to identify and address the pervasive issues that affect health and well-being. Data can help to reveal areas that are most in need of reform, while data indicators can help to track progress towards equity.

To support states and communities in their efforts for policy and systems change, Nemours is pleased to announce the release of Selecting Indicators for Early Childhood Systems Change Projects: A Reference Guide. The purpose of this resource is to provide a guidance for groups working toward achieving optimal and equitable health outcomes for young children and their families to identify, select, and track data indicators that can inform and advance their efforts.

The Reference Guide provides concrete examples and the “why and how” of indicator selection, describing the reasons states and communities carrying out systems change projects can use indicators to shape the direction of their project and to describe what they hope to change in both the short-and long-term. The Guide also directs states and communities to where they can find data both for identifying issues and for describing and monitoring change.

Review the Reference Guide here.

Questions? Please email [email protected].

Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health System (Nemours) and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

During trying times like these, the need for systems change to improve health and well-being outcomes for young children and their families becomes all the more apparent. Effective approaches to systems change often involve cross-sector collaboration, collective impact, or other integrative approaches in order to realize the real change that will improve and increase access to high-quality services for children and families. These approaches must be informed by the very communities whose lives are impacted by our proposed solutions.

To support states and communities in their endeavors for policy and systems change, Nemours is pleased to announce the release of a new issue brief highlighting the value of lived experience and the importance of integrating community voice into systems change work. The brief shares the promising community engagement practices and approaches of state and community leaders in California, Florida, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Washington and provides recommendations for stakeholders to accelerate this work.

Read the issue brief here.

QUESTIONS?
Please email Georgia Thompson, Nemours Senior Program & Policy Analyst, at [email protected].