Every Child Ready
Building Boston's System for Screening, Support, and Family Navigation
Every Child Ready (ECR) is a Boston-based initiative working to ensure that all young children receive screening for developmental milestones and that families are connected to the services and supports if a screening determines a need. The initiative is funded by Boston Children Hospital.
Building on the foundation of an earlier effort called Screen Every Child, a collaborative effort launched during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Boston Opportunity Agenda and a coalition of partners, including the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Boston Pre-K, the Boston Family Engagement Network, and Boston’s Office of Early Childhood. That first phase linked the existing efforts of each partner, building a citywide system for administering the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), a simple, widely used screening tool that helps parents understand their child’s strengths and identify areas that could use extra support.
As developmental screenings expanded across Boston, a 2024 survey of nearly 80 families found that many who received a referral after a screening struggled to access services. Barriers such as long waitlists, limited information, and language differences often prevented families from getting the support they needed.
In response, Every Child Ready focuses on strengthening the connection between screening and services. A key component of this work is family navigation, which helps families connect to providers, and transitions between systems.
Today, Every Child Ready operates through a network of partners, all working together with a Community Advisory Council that keeps families’ voices at the center of the model. This relationship-based, citywide effort aims to make sure every family that needs help finds a clear path to get it.
Resources
United Way Mass Bay DRIVE
Boston Family Engagement Network
Office of Early Childhood
Boston PreK
Boston Children’s Hospital
To learn more email Pratima.Patil@opportunityboston.org