Young children develop in the context of their families, other caregivers, and communities. To promote healthy growth and development from birth to school age, successful early care and education programs must address the diverse needs of children, families, and communities. This typically requires partnership across multiple service systems, especially to meet the needs of children who face risks to their development. Effective collaboration draws onthe strengths of partnering programs in the community to promote a seamless system of high-quality early care and education services for children birth to age 5, linkages to necessary health and social services, and partnerships with families. New alliances always require relationship building. Often potential partners have to be willing to move out of their comfort zones to come to agreement.

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