The National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety is awarded to Education Development Center, Inc. in collaboration with the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, and a consortium of partners, including the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors; Center for Childhood Resilience, Lurie Children’s Hospital; Horowitz Center for Health Literacy at the University of Maryland; Illuminate Colorado; National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center; National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education; Prevent Blindness; Pyramid Model Consortium; Sesame Workshop; UCSF California Childcare Health Program; and UCSF Child Trauma Research Program.

NCHBHS designs evidence-based resources and delivers innovative training and technical assistance (TTA) to build the capacity of Head Start and other early childhood programs to:

• Support children’s healthy development and school success
• Promote the safety of children, families, and staff
• Provide inclusive, culturally and linguistically responsive services
• Address disaster preparedness, response, and recovery  
• Mitigate adversity through trauma-informed care
• Advance health equity by improving child and family well-being

NCHBHS is responsive to the unique needs of children who are dual language learners, children in tribal or Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs, children with special health care needs, and children who are living in foster care or experiencing homelessness.

NCHBHS is part of a comprehensive Office of Head Start TTA System that includes the National Centers, the Regional TTA network, and grant recipient funding. NCHBHS is part of a network of four National Centers, including the National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations, the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement, and the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning. Together, the system supports Head Start and Early Head Start programs as they provide high-quality comprehensive services to pregnant women, children, and families and support the school readiness of young children who live in poverty.

The Center is administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS) in partnership with the Office of Child Care (OCC), and the Health Resource Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems.

To learn more, contact NCHBHS at health at ecetta dot info or (toll-free) 888-227-5125.

Last Updated: December 5, 2023