Our History

The history of the Early Childhood Center (ECC) shows a progression from directly assisting parents of infants and toddlers to advancing policies and practices across the entire early childhood arena. What is currently known as the ECC was established in 1975. The ECC went through several names and directors as it moved from offering assessments and direct service in classroom settings to providing services to children with disabilities and their families in natural environments, places where children and families typically live, learn, and play. The ECC no longer provides direct services and instead focuses on designing and implementing high quality research and training, both locally as well as at a state and national level, with the goal of improving positive outcomes for all young children, including children with disabilities and their families.