Providing access and opportunities to ALL children birth to five!

Connecting • Supporting • Empowering

The Early Childhood Alliance (ECA) is a collaborative network of over 50 multi-sector organizations across Niles Township, united by a shared commitment to ensuring every family with young children has equitable access to the information, resources, and programs they need to thrive.

Together, we work to align and strengthen the early childhood system, making it easier for families to navigate services, access support, and connect with high-quality opportunities from pregnancy through age five. A cornerstone of our work is providing in-person language access through trusted, culturally responsive Family Liaisons who help families access resources, build connections, and obtain the support they need in their preferred language.

Here is a small sampling of the programs we offer to the community.

Our Programs

Parent Support Group Meetings

Individualized Wrap Around Support

Events

Click here to view a full list of ECA Programs

90% of brain growth happens before the age of 5, when a child typically begins kindergarten.

FirstthingsFirst.org
"Soft Skills" such as negotiation skills, self-regulating, impulse control, learning to follow rules, language skills an cooperation with others are as important if not more important than traditional cognitive skills such as reading, writing, and math when determining success in school, work and life.

First2000days.org
There are only 2,000 days between the time a baby is born and when that child shows up for the first day of kindergarten. When we invite in children's earliest years, we get a lifetime of results for our children, our community, our state and our economy."

Smart Start & The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc
Nobel Prize winning economist James Heackman's Research shows 7%-10% return on investment based on increase school and career achievement as well as reduced costs in remedial education, health and criminal justice system expenditures.

Heckmanequation.org
Quality early childhood education is a cost-efficient strategy for reducing deficits and promoting growth.

First Five Years Fund
After age 3, the brain begins to prune itself: the neural connections that are used frequently become more secure while the others fade away. Essentially, the brain looses what it doesn't use.

Zero to Three
The ECA has connected over 350 children with early learning programs, creating a strong foundation for future school and life success.

90% of Brain Development Happens Before Age 5

Between the day they are born and the day they enter kindergarten is the most important developmental stage for a child. Early, high-quality learning opportunities are critical for Kindergarten readiness, improved academic performance, and even life outcomes like higher incomes and better health.

Learn more

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Providing access and opportunities to ALL children birth to five!

Our Programs

Parent Support Group Meetings

Individualized Wrap Around Support

Events

90% of brain growth happens before the age of 5, when a child typically begins kindergarten.

There are only 2,000 days between the time a baby is born and when that child shows up for the first day of kindergarten. When we invite in children's earliest years, we get a lifetime of results for our children, our community, our state and our economy."

Nobel Prize winning economist James Heackman's Research shows 7%-10% return on investment based on increase school and career achievement as well as reduced costs in remedial education, health and criminal justice system expenditures.

Quality early childhood education is a cost-efficient strategy for reducing deficits and promoting growth.

After age 3, the brain begins to prune itself: the neural connections that are used frequently become more secure while the others fade away. Essentially, the brain looses what it doesn't use.

The ECA has connected over 350 children with early learning programs, creating a strong foundation for future school and life success.

90% of Brain Development Happens Before Age 5