A robust body of evidence over the past half a century documents the importance of early childhood experiences for adult outcomes. It shows that support services and programs for families and young children—including home maternal care during the prenatal period, early intervention during infancy and the toddler years, and high-quality care and educational experiences during preschool years—can improve children’s outcomes into the school years and adulthood.

Building on this promising evidence base, the Ready for School, Ready for Life initiative (“the Ready Ready initiative”) in Guilford County, North Carolina aims to support interconnected programs and services for young children and their families with the goal of having children enter kindergarten ready for learning.

This brief describes the Ready Ready initiative’s efforts to “Build a System of Care” and the 2024 status of the implementation of the relevant initiative components. The brief draws on surveys and interviews with staff members at programs in the initiative to describe their perceptions of implementation. It also includes MDRC’s first reporting on families served, using data from the data system that is shared across program partners.