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This dissertation seeks to investigate the development of collaboration among different institutions and disciplines to serve young children with and without special needs. The Education Center for Young Children and Families (ECYCF), located in an urban area of a Midwestern city, was chosen as the research site for this dissertation because it offers comprehensive services and utilizes a progressive inclusion model (based on a 14-year history of partnership among multiple institutions). Utilizing ethnographic methods such as participant observation, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and focus group interviews, data was collected over three years. The data corpus was divided into two parts: (1) historical and leadership level and (2) practical and classroom level. The second level focused on one classroom led by two Head Start and two special education teachers. Collaboration patterns at the leadership and the practice levels represented integrated collaboration and family collaboration respectively. At the leadership level, their shared vision to provide seamless and comprehensive services for children and thei