UMDI helps advance high-quality early childhood development by building the capacity of professionals who work with children birth through age 8 to foster nurturing relationships, support social-emotional well-being, and strengthen learning environments. By aligning leadership, program and fiscal management, and facilities with evidence-based practice, we help organizations create the conditions for healthy development, school readiness, and long-term success.
Featured Projects
StrongStart Professional Development System
A program of MA Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), the StrongStart Massachusetts Professional Development Centers (PDCs) support early education and out-of-school time programs and educators with professional development opportunities and support services such as training, professional learning communities (PLCs), technical assistance, and coaching. The services provided by the PDCs are designed to meet the needs of educators and programs regionally, align with EEC licensing requirements and support continuous quality improvement.
Coaching Approach for Family Services Professionals
In collaboration with the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement, UMDI participated in the development of a coaching model designed to strengthen the skills and practices of family services staff across New England in their work with families. Grounded in research and informed by lived experiences, this model equips professionals with essential concepts, strategies, and reflective practices to enhance family engagement and deliver high-quality, responsive services, as well as follow-up support to ensure programs can integrate coaching practices into their daily work to promote continuous improvement.
Supporting Services
Mental Health & Social Emotional Development
Using research-driven methodologies, UMDI helps develop programs that advance mental health and social-emotional development for children from birth through age 8.
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Effective Family Engagement
UMDI helps partners engage better with parents and caregivers through meaningful engagement with families, using quantitative and qualitative data to understand family needs and evaluate impact.
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Program and Fiscal Management, Leadership, and Operations
UMDI supports strong governance, data-informed decision-making, and effective management systems that enhance our partners’ organizational performance and compliance.
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