McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Jill Bella, Ed.D. | May 4, 2021

A woman wearing glasses and a suit is smiling in front of a flag.

Sim Loh is a family partnership coordinator at Children’s Village, a nationally-accredited Keystone 4 STARS early learning and school-age enrichment program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving about 350 children. She supports children and families, including non-English speaking families of immigrant status, by ensuring equitable access to education, health, employment, and legal information and resources on a day-to-day basis. She is a member of the Children First Racial Equity Early Childhood Education Provider Council, a community member representative of Philadelphia School District Multilingual Advisory Council, and a board member of Historic Philadelphia.


Sim explains, “I ensure families know their rights and educate them on ways to speak up for themselves and request for interpretation/translation services. I share families’ stories and experiences with legislators and decision-makers so that their needs are understood. Attending Leadership Connections will help me strengthen and grow my skills in all domains by interacting with and hearing from experienced leaders in different positions. With newly acquired skills, I seek to learn about the systems level while paying close attention to the accessibility and barriers of different systems and resources and their impacts on young children and their families.”

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

I was part of a group that was assisting in the redesign of an accreditation system into an online platform. The system, developed years ago, was antiquated—those wishing to be accredited mailed in forms and documentation, that information was then entered manually into a computer, and eventually, the results were sent back via United States mail. We were thrilled to be working with others to create an online system for submitting and entering data, generating information based on the data, automating results, and electronically sending feedback to the person who submitted the information. We worked on the system for over a year and when it finally was ready, the company that designed the system told us to try and break it! We felt a freedom like no other. We were set loose to experiment and be creative.


Trying to break the system was actually an invigorating process. All of the features were tested, sample data was entered, challenges and inaccuracies were noted, inefficiencies were identified, unusual scenarios were developed, and there were discussions about what worked and what did not. I loved this process. I think I enjoyed it so much because it went against the traditional ways we are taught to approach change. We were being forced to think negatively in order to come up with better results. Throughout our lives, we are often taught that negative thinking is bad. We are conditioned to respond positively and “think possibility.” And, while I am not suggesting we eliminate this positive and optimistic approach to thinking, I am suggesting that when a change is nearing the final stages of development, you make sure to include a step that involves trying to “break it.” Take time to think of alternatives, obstacles, inefficiencies, inaccuracies, and unique situations. Provide critical feedback. In doing so, you will eliminate many problems that would have occurred after the change was considered finalized.


Another benefit to this method was that trying to break the system was anticipated. There was actually a lot of time built into the process to break and rebuild the system. How many times do we change something, immediately put it into practice, find out there are problems with it, and then have to quickly punt to come up with a solution? We often do this because there is limited time, we did not consider errors might happen, and as a result, we need to “fix” the problems immediately because the change has already been launched. When we have limited time to come up with solutions, we often pick the first one that will work instead of continuing to brainstorm and selecting the best one from a variety of good choices.


What if the next time a change is instituted in your organization, you build in time to try and break it? And by break it, I mean make it better. When time is built in to break a new change, you can come up with several good solutions and, from there, select the best one. There is time for reflecting, considering options, experimenting some more, and brainstorming multiple right answers. When you do not build in time to “break it,” you pay for it later through lost time, employee and customer frustration and dissatisfaction, and lower team morale.


Interested in learning more about how to lead change? We offer a full-day session for administrators of early care and education programs titled, Change is Good…You Go First! We also offer a 10-month leadership academy for administrators of center-based early care and education programs titled, Taking Charge of Change.

Jill Bella, Ed.D., is Director of Professional Learning for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at National Louis University (NLU). In these roles, she oversees professional learning, conducts research, and consults for local and state initiatives on the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey (ECWES), the Program Administration Scale (PAS), the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS), and leadership topics in early care and education. Dr. Bella is also the co-author of several books and trainer’s guides including A Great Place to Work, Inspiring Peak Performance, and Building on Whole Leadership.

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Building Community Partnerships for Lasting Impact

By Cara Murdoch and Sherry Rocha • December 12, 2025
By Cara Murdoch and Sherry Rocha Community collaborations can strengthen your early childhood program, expand services for families, and increase your visibility and credibility as a trusted resource in the community. But effective partnerships don’t begin with a phone call—they start with a plan. Start with internal planning Before reaching out to community members or organizations, gather insights from your internal team. Hold a brief planning meeting to discuss goals, identify needs, and build a shared vision for collaboration. Consider including: Members of your board of directors or advisory board Program staff members Interested family members and parents of enrolled children. REVISIT your mission and goals A clear, shared understanding of your program’s purpose will guide effective partnerships. Before reaching out to community members or organizations, gather insights from your internal team. Hold a brief planning meeting to discuss goals, identify needs, and build a shared vision for collaboration. Consider including: What is your mission? What strengths and expertise do we bring to the community? What challenges do our enrolled families face? What support or resources would be most helpful? What can we offer potential partners in return? Clarity about these questions will ensure that your outreach to community members and organizations is focused and meaningful. Learn about local resources Begin exploring the services and organizations that exist in your community. These may become valuable referral partners or direct collaborators. Examples include: Early intervention services Family support agencies Mental health providers Multilingual tax-preparation volunteers Knowing these resources helps you connect families with the help they need. share your space and services Your early childhood center may be a valuable asset for other groups. Consider offering your space to other programs or groups to strengthen your role as a community hub. Possibilities include: Scouting America or Girl Scout meetings Parenting workshops or support groups Health screenings or nutrition programs Community committee meetings participate in community events Raising visibility in your community opens doors to partnership. Become involved in: Neighborhood clean-up days Local fairs or festivals Library literacy events Cultural celebrations School district events These types of interactions naturally build trust and relationships. build and expand your network Partnerships often begin with small conversations or shared goals. Stay curious and connected—the more people you meet, the more opportunities arise. Potential collaborators include: Museums Public libraries Human services departments Colleges and universities Local schools Cooperative Extension services Hospitals and clinics Banks and financial advisors Mental health agencies Early intervention programs Remember: partnerships are mutually beneficial Successful collaborations are built on: Clear communication Shared goals Appreciation for each other’s strengths A commitment to supporting families and the community Whether the support you receive is financial, advisory, or educational, strong partnerships help everyone thrive. A final thought Community partnerships don’t happen overnight. With the proper planning, your early childhood program can become a powerful and connected resource in your neighborhood. Start small, stay open to ideas, and let relationships grow.
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