As a network, our successes are the innovations that we are able to spread and reach more children and families in the area. The MCI staff serve as the conveners, facilitators, supporters, and promoters of these new approaches that come out of collaborative conversations based on the data collected and shared. Two such innovations were developed to respond to the need to support families’ support of their children’s success in school and the other one to make the process of accessing basic support for families easier.
MCI network seeks to improve child outcomes in education. After testing various strategies the network landed on the importance of supporting family routines that increased language acquisition and decreased developmental vulnerability. MCI Network chose to support families, family support programs and teachers in tracking daily reading routines after reaching a consensus to spread this routine based on research in 2013. From a baseline established in January 2014 with just 3 different Early Care and Education settings. The practice has since spread and the goal is now to bring on more partners to adopt this digital method of tracking daily reading. This tracking has been shown to support educational success and is a tool that teachers, caregivers, and programs can use as they plan activities to support children’s success in schools. This innovation can be adapted to other daily family routines that can support child and family well-being in the areas of physical and mental health.
MCI Network heard from community members and partner agencies about their experiences accessing and providing services and support. We sought to come up with innovative solutions to the challenges that exist in the system; burdensome paperwork, gaps in referrals and follow-ups, duplicative processes for people who have multiple needs, and confusing and shifting requirements. MCI Network created a tool to track referrals and follow-up, streamline paperwork, and host an up-to-date database of services called CareLinQ. After an initial start, Los Angeles County adopted the tool. Find out more at 211la.org.