Child Care and Early Education Policy and Research Analysis (CCEEPRA) Project

This brief summarizes key themes from a virtual convening on child care and early education (CCEE) research during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is intended to be a product that can advance discussions about lessons learned from changes made to CCEE research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This snapshot presents findings from analyses of the 2012 and 2019 NSECE home-based surveys about the use of out-of-school time care for school-aged children.

This landscape analysis presents findings on school-age child care data sources, their strengths, and gaps.

This research brief series documents the historical contexts in which the different waves of the NSECE were developed and fielded, and shares important research and methodological advances made possible by the NSECE.

This highlight provides a framework to understand child care and early education workforce well-being and describes examples of research-based initiatives that can be implemented to promote well-being.

Understand different types of professional development strategies and how they can help state/territory leaders reach their goals.

This brief summarizes the research evidence on how high-quality ECE benefits all young children, as well as key subgroups, such as children from families experiencing low household income, children who are dual language learners, and children with disabilities.

Read a summary of research about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected child care and early education programs and the families they serve in the first year of the pandemic.

This short-form product describes the value of competency frameworks and competency-based professional development for infant/toddler teachers and caregivers.

In this piece on nontraditional-hour care, we highlight descriptive reports using national data on both families with young children who need nontraditional-hour care, as well as the characteristics of providers who offer nontraditional-hour care.

This resource provides guidance to data users interested in using the 2019 NSECE to examine questions related to ECE access using a multi-dimensional, family-centric definition of access.

This short-form product summarizes findings from a study on state reported barriers and solutions to implementing the interstate background check requirements of the CCDBG Act of 2014.

This highlight draws key findings from two reports focused on families’ search for child care and states’ efforts to provide parents with consumer education to help inform their child care search process: 1) Parents’ Reasons for Searching for Early Care and Education and Results of Search: An Analysis Using the Access Framework; and 2) Supporting Families’ Access to Child Care and Early Education: A Descriptive Profile of States’ Consumer Education Websites.

This short-form product is intended to introduce state child care administrators to the multi-dimensional definition of child care and early education (CCEE) access. The product is also designed to underscore the family-centric nature of the definition and describes why the multi-dimensional definition is more useful for examining access than traditional definitions. The product also includes an infographic, designed to stand alone and as a quick but comprehensive illustration of CCEE access.

Explore the survey instrument used to capture information about Head Start Grantees’ and Delegates’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This Snapshot uses data from the 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) to examine caregiving arrangements for young children with special needs to better understand where these children receive early care and education (ECE) services. Findings in this Snapshot are focused on children under age 6 and ECE providers serving children under age 6.

The intent of the Snapshot is to examine the types of nonparental care lower-income households, with at least one working parent, use to care for children under age 6. The Snapshot examines the types of nonparental care families use, both solely and in combination, to care for infants and toddlers (0-35 months) and 3- to-5-year-olds (not yet in Kindergarten).  

Discover a common definition of access to early childhood education, the indicators of access, and guidance for measuring and tracking these indicators.

This research brief summarizes the measures used in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems validation studies...

This white paper addresses the 2018 revision of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Federal statistical agencies use the SOC to classify workers and jobs into occupational categories. ACF’s proposals in this paper include changes to the titles, definitions, and placement of the occupations involving the early childhood care and education (ECCE) workforce....

These two publications address the issues facing early care and education providers because of monitoring by multiple agencies and organizations...

The descriptive brief provides an overview of the qualifications and the professional development activities of the nation’s infant/toddler workforce, based on representative data collected by the National Survey of Early Care and Education. The goal of this brief is to help the field better understand the strengths and needs of the infant/toddler workforce in center-based as well as home-based early care and education programs...

This research review addresses the question:

What evidence do we have from the literature on associations between infant/toddler teacher and caregiver preparation (e.g., education, credentials, etc.) and quality of caregiving and child outcomes?...

This research brief is the first in a series which seeks to provide early childhood researchers, program developers, and funders with an introduction to implementation frameworks and promising practices in implementation science with the aim of facilitating their use in early care and education. This brief introduces key elements of effective implementation within an integrated, stage-based framework. This framework posits that 1) implementation happens in four discernible stages...

This brief, based on a keynote speech delivered by Martha Zaslow at BUILD Initiative’s 2013 Annual QRIS National Meeting, reviews and updates our understanding of goals and outcomes of QRIS, in order to work toward the next generation of QRIS. The brief articulates a framework that can support design, revision, validation, and evaluation of QRIS and serves as the introduction to a forthcoming product from the Quality Initiatives Research and...

Collecting and using data are core activities in a well-functioning Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). Yet, data used in a QRIS are frequently housed in different systems, using different data management techniques. Ensuring a high level of QRIS data quality involves implementing a number of best practices drawn from established practices used in other fields. The purpose of this brief is to describe the specific strategies QRIS data stakeholders can use to improve upon the...

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) currently serve as a centerpiece of many states’ early care and education (ECE) activities. However, QRIS can only strengthen ECE program quality if they are built on quality data. Intentional and rigorous data management and governance practices are essential for data gathered exclusively for the QRIS (such as program observation scores) as well as for external data accessed by the QRIS (such as workforce registry data).  The purpose...

This brief is designed to support Quality Improvement (QI) efforts by describing the status of the evidence and presenting information that categorizes quality improvement efforts using a typology of QI models and targets. The brief provides: an overview of the current QI context; the methodology for this review; a conceptual framework to categorize QI efforts; a summary of trends in the evidence base on the effectiveness of different types of QI; and a discussion of potential QI...

The majority of states are currently implementing, designing, or piloting a Quality Improvement and Rating System (QRIS). One key component of a QRIS is the way it assigns program ratings. However, there is a great deal of variability in the structure states use to determine a program’s rating level, with states using three primary structures. Block structures specify a set of quality standards at each level of quality. Before a program can move up to a higher level of quality...

The prevalence of child care changes is a noteworthy issue, and subsidies may assist low-income families in maintaining continuity of care. In this brief, authors review select Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) state policies, as of October 1, 2012, that have been, or may be, associated with exits from the subsidy program. The summaries provided may be used to contextualize research findings across states and to inform conversations about facilitating continuity in subsidized care among...

What does recent research say about child care subsidies? This literature review summarizes recent research on topics related to child care subsidies with the intent to provide a foundation of empirical knowledge for state administrators, program developers, and policymakers as they choose among and implement subsidy policies. The three sections of the report include: descriptive information about subsidy use; a review of the literature addressing the association between subsidy receipt and...

Interest in the quality of provider-family relationships in early care and education (ECE) settings has sharpened the focus on defining and measuring elements of these relationships across settings for program improvement purposes.  In this brief, authors examine the alignment of research-based elements of family-provider partnerships with professional and performance standards from three national ECE organizations as well as selected professional competencies and Quality Rating and...

Many factors influence parents’ decision-making in their child care choices. This literature review provides an overview of empirical knowledge about the factors that influence parents’ decision-making in their child care choices. Findings from the literature are organized into four main sections reflecting empirical findings about: 1) parents’ child care decision-making processes, 2) parents’ preferences and priorities in selecting a care arrangement...

Child care survey data and analyses can be improved by stepping away from terminology which may have unclear or multiple meanings to different audiences. This brief, which draws from the Design Study of the National Survey of Early Care and Education, reviews the importance of child care data, as well as some of the pitfalls of misinterpretation of survey items. Through a review of literature, cognitive testing, and feasibility testing, the brief considers terminology issues as they... 

There is increasing emphasis on coordination and collaboration across early care and education sectors to provide consistent, high-quality services to meet the needs of families with young children. This brief presents work on the conceptualization and measurement of collaboration in the field of early childhood.  The brief identifies key components of collaboration and encourages the development and use of measures of collaboration in the early childhood field.  The brief presents...

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are only useful if their ratings are valid.  This brief provides detailed examples and findings from QRIS validation activities in four states: Indiana, Maine, Minnesota and Virginia. The brief demonstrates how different states have approached QRIS validation, compares findings, and highlights challenges in designing and conducting QRIS validation studies. 

Authors use a framework provided by Zellman and Fiene through the Quality Initiatives...

To ensure implementation of early childhood interventions with fidelity, implementation strategies must be aligned...

Quantity measures are far more prevalent than quality measures in implementation research...

Dosage, or the amount of intervention delivered, is an important factor in understanding implementation...

This brief highlights advantages, disadvantages, and potential research uses of four publicly available datasets...

This brief highlights the lack of consistent findings regarding subsidy duration in existing studies, resulting from...

This brief finds a high degree of overlap between parent and provider report of subsidy receipt using data from the...

There are multiple indications that different forms of on-site technical assistance aimed at improving quality are...

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) for early care and education and school age care programs are…

The purpose of this research brief is to provide information that can be used to target and guide content for…

On both the federal and state levels, policymakers and program administrators are interested in how early care and…

As policymakers and program administrators work to enhance the quality of early care and education settings, there is…

More than half of states now have Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) in some stage of development…

The purpose of this document is to encourage high-quality QRIS evaluations by providing timely information on…

Program observation offers an important window into program quality and an opportunity to identify strengths and…

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) for early childhood programs and school-age care are being implemented in…

Policies such as those related to child care subsidies and quality rating and improvement systems are designed to…

Quality measurement in early care and education programs now plays a central role in early childhood policy and…

Classroom observation measures that were originally developed and refined for early childhood research purposes are…

This Brief discusses key characteristics that differentiate measures of quality, and the extent to which measures that…

Fifty-seven percent of children under age six who are in non-parental care are cared for in a home, whether that of a…

The purpose of this research brief is to examine patterns of primary care arrangements among infants approximately 9…

The use of child care arrangements, especially among low-income working parents, is of key interest to policy makers…

Researchers have consistently found associations between child care quality and children’s developmental outcomes…

This brief examines how provider training and education are related to parent- and provider-reported indicators of…

States and the federal government have invested in early care and education programs with an explicit goal of improving…

Measures assessing the quality of children’s environments and interactions in nonparental care settings were...

As states and communities invest in initiatives to improve the quality of early care and education, the measurement of…

This Issue Brief draws on a review of the literature on QRSs, as well as the proceedings of three meetings convened by…

This video features parents describing the many factors they consider when looking for child care and early education.

Understand different models of coordinated services used across the United States and how to improve service coordination for families.

Explore OPRE’s study about Head Start’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on a national survey of Head Start grantees, interviews with Regional Program Managers and Head Start Collaboration Office Directors as well as interviews with program directors, teachers, and family service workers.

Discover an overview of trauma and its impact on child care and early education (CCEE), actionable steps to ensure providers use trauma-informed approaches, and guidance for addressing the needs of young children, parents/caregivers, and CCEE providers.

The report highlights examples of state ECE consumer education websites that are easy for parents to navigate; offer information about costs and financial supports to make care more affordable; provide information about how care can support child development; and can help parents locate care that meets their needs (e.g. near home/their work, during non-traditional hours, etc.).

This report examines families’ access to early care and education using a definition of access that examines whether parents, with reasonable effort and affordability, can enroll their child in care that supports child development and meets parents’ needs.

This snapshot presents nationally representative data on why parents search for care for their young children and the reasons for not enrolling with a new provider after such a search.

This resource guide provides information for researchers about administrative data collected on federal policies and programs that (in whole or part) support young children with disabilities.

This report explores preliminary associations between indicators of the quality of care and the prices for care reported by providers in the United States for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

This report describes the ways in which individual characteristics and factors at the program and system levels are associated with individual teachers’ and caregivers’ participation in PD in a nationally representative sample of ECE teachers and caregivers.

Much like the 7.8 million families with young children in urban areas, many of the 1.1 million families with young children in rural areas need and use early care and education (ECE). Families across the United States face challenges accessing child care, and challenges often vary by population density. Although the definition of what constitutes an urban, suburban, and rural area differs across studies, the literature suggests that...

The experience of homelessness is a known risk factor for young children’s development and well-being. High-quality early care and education may help children overcome some of the negative factors associated with homelessness. However, states, communities and early care and education providers face many barriers to ensuring access to care for these young children, including challenges with identifying children who are or are at risk of experiencing homelessness...

Researchers and policymakers in the early care and education (ECE) field are interested in understanding the factors that contribute to successful quality improvement (QI) initiatives in ECE settings. They also want to learn about factors leading to improved outcomes for children and families through successful QI initiatives. One factor posited to influence the success of such initiatives is the readiness of individuals and organizations to adopt new quality improvement practices.

States and territories have increasingly worked to strengthen their early care and education (ECE) systems to more efficiently and effectively serve young children. It can still be challenging, however, to coordinate ECE systems’ multifaceted funding streams, services, standards, and regulations.This report summarizes publicly available information about the coordination or inclusion of Head Start across various aspects of state and territory ECE systems. 

This set of resources is intended to strengthen the ability of state/territory child care administrators and their research partners to utilize administrative data to address policy-relevant early care and education research questions. The resources are designed for researchers who are new to the analysis of administrative data as well as seasoned users of administrative data who are expanding their research to include new types of administrative data (e.g., expanding to a new state or new agency).

Stable, high-quality child care has numerous benefits for children and families, including providing support for child development and enabling parents to work. To make child care accessible to low-income families, the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) offers guidance and funds to states, territories, and tribes to...

Licensing is traditionally viewed as providing the foundation (or the floor) of quality in early care and education (ECE) settings. States and territories are responsible for licensing child care programs, and a license serves as permission to legally...

In 2012, 3.8 million home-based child care providers in the United States cared for more than 7.1 million children. These home-based child care providers represent a diverse group including licensed family child care programs along with family members, friends, and neighbors who regularly care for children.

Over the last decade, the landscape...

These snapshots describe U.S. households’ costs for, and usage of, ECE in 2012, looking at differences by age of child, household income, and community urbanicity.

Defining and monitoring early care and education (ECE) program engagement in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are essential tasks that can inform implementation and improvement efforts. Accurate data about the types of ECE programs that are rated, where they are located, and who they serve can shape outreach and recruitment efforts. The term engagement is used as a broad term in this brief to encompass varying...

While many efforts to improve the quality of early care and education (ECE) have focused on increasing teachers’ and caregivers’ competencies and knowledge specific to the teaching of young children, a small body of research suggests that an ECE workforce that is mentally healthy can provide the best-quality care for children.

Over 1.4 million children in the United States receive child care subsidies each month, provided through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and administered at the state or local level (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Subsidies assist families in paying for child care arrangements so that low-income parents, including parents transitioning from welfare, can work or attend training and education...

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are initiatives implemented in states to promote improvement in the quality of early care and education (ECE) programs. Although systems vary in their specific features, QRIS typically include a process for measuring and rating ECE program quality, sharing ratings with parents and the public...

What does “curriculum” mean when applied to working with infants and toddlers?

This brief discusses the meaning of the term when applied to early education and care programs serving families with infants and toddlers. The discussion focuses on how programs can incorporate and use the concepts of a curriculum in a way that is developmentally appropriate for infants and toddlers...

Three principles of scale development — Dimensionality, Item Selection, & Item Scoring are especially relevant for Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) rating scales. This brief describes how using these principles can help in the development and refinement of QRIS rating scales. Attention to these principles will enhance the ability of QRIS ratings to achieve the goal of predicting observed quality scores and child outcomes...

This guidebook describes the steps and best practices for successfully selecting and implementing a parenting intervention. The purpose is to provide program, state, and child care network leaders an easy-to-use tool for implementing a parenting intervention. The guidebook may be used as a companion to the Compendium of Parenting Interventions recently developed by the Health and Human Services Interagency Parenting Group and the Head Start National Center on Family...

Discover profiles for sixteen commonly used developmental screening tools and how they may meet the needs of early childhood practitioners. 

The INQUIRE Toolkit grows out of the growing awareness of the importance of collecting data related to early care and education.  The Quality Initiatives Research and Evaluation Consortium (INQUIRE) Data Work Group was convened to address a request from stakeholders for information on building an effective data infrastructure to support activities including monitoring, continuous program improvement, reporting, validation and evaluation in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) and...

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems’ administrators are seeking resources and technical assistance...

There is widespread and growing interest in how parents make decisions about their children’s care…

Quality measures were originally developed for research aimed at describing the settings in which children spend time…

The INQUIRE Toolkit grows out of the growing awareness of the importance of collecting data related to early care and education.  The Quality Initiatives Research and Evaluation Consortium (INQUIRE) Data Work Group was convened to address a request from stakeholders for information on building an effective data infrastructure to support activities including monitoring, continuous program improvement, reporting, validation and evaluation in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) and...