Recent History of the Organization

In 2011, ECAF Leadership Council moved into the next phase of developing the organizational structure and the 3 Year Strategic Plan.  You can read documents about our progress and accomplishments by clicking on the links in the table below. Our sincere thanks to the EEC and the Sudbury Foundation for funding these efforts.

The ECAF Leadership Council Strategic Planning Group is recognized for their evident commitment to the process as well as their ongoing dedication to serving all children in Framingham. Thank you for your time, patience, enthusiasm and expertise.

We are also grateful to our facilitator, Dodi Swope, who guided us skillfully through the process.

And so the seeds are planted now let the garden grow...  We planted additional seeds in our neighboring community of Ashland in 2014 where we developed the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) site, which flourished.  In the summer of 2017, we decided to have the MetroWest YMCA take on Ashland, Holliston and Hopkinton communities, where they will continue to grow a strong CFCE under a new name "Project ABC".  We are happy that we played a role in the development of a strong program and enabling the expansion to these communities.

The winter of 2018 was spent on updating our early childhood needs assessment.  We have made much progress in the last 8 years and seen many strengths in how we all support families and our community partners.

Early Education Research

Research plays an important role in the Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham's ability to advocate effectively in building a better future for children, families, and community.  To fulfill our mission, we need as a community to have empirical data to support what we already know is true — the earlier we invest in children's health, education, and welfare, the greater the outcomes for learning and life long success. As a fellow investor in the future welfare of children, the ECAF provides the following links to help us in our advocacy efforts:

• Kids Count 2021 Data Book Interactive
• Brain Building in Progress
• CAYL Institute 
• Center for the Study of Social Policy
• Child Welfare Information Gateway
• Children's Defense Fund
• Harvard Family Research Project
• National Education Policy Center
• Strategies for Children
• Strengthening Partnerships Framework
• US Department of Education Publications
• Zero to 3 Infographic