2007-2024
The Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences Study (Baby FACES) are a series of ongoing descriptive studies aimed at maintaining an up-to-date, extensive knowledge base to support Early Head Start policies and programs. Baby FACES aims to inform program planning, technical assistance, and research at the national level by:
- Providing descriptive information about the quality, frequency, and intensity of Early Head Start services;
- Describing the characteristics, qualifications, and professional supports provided to staff working with Early Head Start families;
- Identifying key characteristics, strengths, and needs of families served in Early Head Start;
- Learning how Early Head Start children and families are faring in key areas of child and family well-being; and
- Exploring associations between the type and quality of Early Head Start services and child and family well-being.
Baby FACES 2009 employed a longitudinal cohort design with a representative sample of 89 Early Head Start programs in 2009. It followed approximately 1,000 children in two age cohorts: (1) a perinatal group of pregnant mothers or newborn children under 3 months of age in Spring 2009, and (2) a group of infants about 1 year old in Spring 2009. Data were collected annually, in the spring, until children left or aged out of the program (at age 3) through annual interviews with parents, teachers, home visitors, and program directors; direct child assessments; video-recorded parent-child and assessor-child interactions; and weekly service logs.
Baby FACES 2018 and 2022 used a repeated cross-sectional research design with a nationally representative sample of programs, centers, classrooms, home visitors, and children of all age groups enrolled in Early Head Start. Data collection included interviews with parents, teachers, home visitors, center directors, and program directors; assessment of children’s development via parent- and staff-report; assessment of parent-child relationship quality; in depth observational assessments of Early Head Start center-based service quality (in 2018); and in depth observational assessments of Early Head Start home-based service quality (in 2022).
Point(s) of contact: Jenessa Malin, and Jackie Gross
Information collections related to this project have been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under OMB #0970-0354. Related materials are available at the Baby FACES information collection page on RegInfo.gov.
The approved documents are accessible by clicking on the ICR Ref. No. with the most recent conclusion date. To access the information collections (E.g. interviews, surveys, protocols), click on View Information Collection (IC) List. Click on View Supporting Statement and Other Documents to access other supplementary documents.
Baby FACES 2009-2012, 2018, and 2022 data are archived at the Child and Family Data Archive .