Mission
The primary purpose of ECAL Inc. is to strengthen the quality of early learning programs for young children that increase their social, emotional and academic readiness for future learning. ECAL Inc. established Caring Communities: Birth to 3 in 2008 to transform program philosophy and practice in early education settings for infants and toddlers. The program has successfully implemented the model in 49 classrooms in Central Ohio and 1 in Cincinnati. CC: B-3 has assisted in improving the overall center quality, with several centers receiving increased quality ratings from Ohio's Step Up to Quality rating system. CC: B-3 impacted the quality of care for 400 infants and toddlers during this reporting year. Centers who make the commitment to transform their programs from single age classrooms to classroom communities of infants and toddlers together maintain that model despite funding challenges because they understand the added value of a mixed-age setting with consistent caregivers.