This website represents the culmination of a five-year initiative, ending July 2026, funded through Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Health Integration Prenatal-to-Three cooperative agreement awarded to the Minnesota Department of Health from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
"It really takes a community to raise children, no matter how much money one has. Nobody can do it well alone. And it’s the bedrock security of community that we and our children need." Marian Wright Edelman, Children’s Rights Activist, Children’s Defense Fund
Vision
MN-ICECI envisions an early childhood system that is holistic, integrated, family-centered, and connects families to resources within their community to improve their health and wellbeing.
Mission
Partner with Minnesota early childhood systems to deliver a broad spectrum of strongly connected community-centered health programs and services to African American children 0-3 and their families.
Values
COMMUNITY OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT AND INCLUSION
Work closely with the African American community to ensure the health issues of children 0-3 and their families are addressed.
PARTNERSHIPS
Work closely with the African American community to ensure the health issues of children 0-3 and their families are addressed.
FAMILY CENTERED
Ensure African American parents with children ages 0-3 and EC workers and providers are involved in all aspects of MN-ICECI work.
ADVOCACY
Support city, county, and state policies and practices that improve African American EC health.
LIVED EXPERIENCE
Include community members who are parenting 0–3-year-olds at all levels of MN-ICECI’s EC systems work.
STORYTELLING
Establish processes for monitoring, analyzing, and improving the performance of EC systems.
Get Involved
A core value of MN-ICECI is to build relationships with early childhood systems to create more cohesive, responsive, and equitable health outcomes for children and families.
