Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems SEED Project: Scaling Effective Early Childhood Systems Development (ECCS SEED)

The Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems SEED Project: Scaling Effective Early Childhood Systems Development (ECCS SEED) is a federal funding opportunity administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program is listed under Assistance Listing 93.491, Community Integrated Service Systems (CISS), and is being offered as a cooperative agreement opportunity for fiscal year 2026. HRSA anticipates making approximately eight awards through this program, with an estimated total program funding amount of $7,000,000. The ECCS SEED initiative is forecasted for release on May 15, 2026, with applications expected to be due on June 15, 2026. Awards are anticipated to begin on July 1, 2026, with project activities expected to start on August 1, 2026. The purpose of the ECCS SEED Project is to address the root causes of chronic disease during early childhood by improving families' access to health care services, increasing developmental and behavioral health screening for young children, and connecting parents and caregivers with supportive services that strengthen family stability and well-being. The program focuses on prenatal-to-age-5 populations and seeks to improve statewide and community-level systems that support healthy child development. HRSA states that the initiative will support evidence-based strategies designed to improve access to quality care and coordinated systems for families with young children. The project aligns with broader maternal and child health goals related to preventive care, developmental supports, and equitable access to integrated services. Funding under this opportunity is intended to support systems development activities rather than direct clinical care alone. Applicants are expected to partner with states, territories, tribal organizations, communities, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to strengthen early childhood systems infrastructure and coordination. The cooperative agreement structure indicates that HRSA will likely maintain substantial involvement in program oversight and technical assistance throughout the project period. Although the funding announcement does not yet provide a detailed breakdown of allowable costs, the project description suggests that funds may be used to support planning, systems coordination, data integration, workforce collaboration, screening and referral improvements, family engagement strategies, and other evidence-based activities that improve early childhood outcomes and family well-being. The opportunity is open to a broad range of domestic applicants. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. HRSA also specifies that domestic eligibility includes entities located within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The broad eligibility structure reflects the program's emphasis on cross-sector systems collaboration and community-level implementation. The funding opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching contributions. HRSA lists an award ceiling of $875,000 and an estimated total available funding amount of $7,000,000. Although the forecast listing displays an award floor of $0, this appears to function as a placeholder rather than a guaranteed minimum award amount. The agency expects to issue eight awards under the program. Additional guidance regarding the anticipated project period, indirect cost limitations, reporting requirements, application forms, and review criteria will likely be provided when the full notice of funding opportunity is officially posted. Electronically submitted applications will be required no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the published due date. At the forecast stage, the announcement does not yet identify specific application components, scoring criteria, or mandatory pre-application requirements such as letters of intent or concept papers. Similarly, no webinar schedule, technical assistance sessions, or question-and-answer deadlines have been published. The primary contact listed for the opportunity is the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems, which can be reached by telephone at (301) 443-2170. The program title referenced by HRSA is ECCS SEED Program. Because this is currently a forecasted opportunity rather than an active notice of funding opportunity, applicants should monitor Grants.gov and HRSA for the official release announcement, application package, and any supplemental guidance documents. The current forecast suggests that the program may operate on a recurring federal grant cycle tied to annual appropriations and HRSA maternal and child health initiatives.

Emphasize evidence-based strategies that improve access to quality prenatal-to-age-5 care, strengthen systems coordination, support early physical and mental health screening, and improve family well-being through integrated service systems.