Promote | Support | Build

The Alliance offers a range of resources and networking opportunities to strengthen the work at the local and regional levels. We encourage ongoing interaction among our members to elevate the critical role of early childhood coalitions throughout New Hampshire.

What is the alliance?

​The New Hampshire Alliance of Early Childhood Coalitions (Alliance) promotes, supports, and builds the capacity of early childhood coalitions across the Granite State. By offering resources and networking opportunities and promoting peer learning and knowledge sharing, the Alliance is strengthening coalition work at the local and regional levels. Using a collective impact model, the Alliance elevates the critical role of early childhood coalitions in strengthening the statewide system of multi-sector services and supports for children and families. Also, the Alliance is a critical bridge to ensure the connection between and alignment across statewide, regional, and local early childhood system-building efforts.

who are alliance members?

​Alliance members include the seven Early Childhood Regional Leads and local early childhood coalitions working at the community level. More than half of Alliance members have existed for more than five years, while others were formed more recently with PDG funding. All members receive local and state government funding; less than half receive support through private grants and donations.

what does the alliance offer its members?

​The Alliance serves as a community of practice among local and regional early childhood coalitions offering face-to-face meetings, web-based collaborative environments, and communication tools. For new and emerging coalitions, the Alliance provides training and one-on-one technical assistance and recently developed a Starting an Early Childhood Coalition Handbook. As a membership organization, the Alliance has created shared messages about the importance of an integrated early childhood system and the value of investing in early childhood. The Alliance is exploring ways to strengthen its support to coalitions and is considering enhancing its capacity to provide a shared communication system, aligned data collection process, pooled administrative resources (i.e., technology, accounting), and fundraising for its members.

how does the alliance ensure coalition success?

​The Alliance developed a practice profile framework with critical components for coalition success. Such components include meaningful caregiver participation, an orientation process for new members, an evaluation system, communication pathways to provide feedback and support loops, values and guiding principles, a clear vision and mission, a backbone organization to support the coalition, and designated and identified leadership. Coalition success is also dependent on meaningful multi-sector participation from those representing behavioral health/substance use disorder providers, businesses, child welfare, community action programs, early learning/childcare centers, early supports and services, the faith community, Family Resource Centers, first responders (police, fire, EMTs), Head Start/Early Head Start, health care, higher education, home visiting, libraries, municipalities, parents/family members, philanthropy, recreation, schools and school districts, and WIC/nutrition support programs. The Alliance created a tool to help coalitions assess the extent to which they meet all critical components.

The New Hampshire Alliance for Early Childhood Coalitions is grateful to be funded in part by grants from: