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State Services

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center provides a variety of services to state lawmakers, agency officials, and advocates. We are experts on the latest research and the implementation of effective state polices, and we work closely with state leaders to help them achieve their goals for child and parent wellbeing.

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Virginia’s investment yields substantial returns to children, families, and the state–including reduced poverty and child maltreatment, a lifetime of improved educational achievement, and hundreds of millions of dollars in state economic returns.

How We Support States

We conduct original research and rigorous evaluations of state policies and programs. Through mixed methods, we examine not only whether a policy is effective, but also for whom and under what conditions. We calculate the return on investments. Our findings help states strengthen supports for children and families.

Submit an information request today! We answer specific research questions tied to state and national prenatal-to-3 legislative activity and trends, rigorous research, and policy impacts. We craft responses within an equity framework and target our responses to a state’s needs.

Data-driven decisions help states support infants, toddlers, and their families. In our work for states, we use administrative data and collect our own data via surveys, perform data analysis and benefit-cost analyses, and advise in the creation of data dashboards.

We provide virtual and in-person presentations on a variety of topics related to legislative trends and rigorous research. We receive frequent requests for prenatal-to-3 policy overviews, as well as presentations on specific issue areas and individual states’ policy goals.

We help state leaders prioritize their policy agendas by providing evidence of what works to meet a state’s policy goals for children and families.

Our nonpartisan experts in public policy and the science of early childhood can provide testimony on the effectiveness of policies in pending legislation. We can speak to the rigorous evidence on such policies, translating complex findings into clear and simple messages.

The Latest

Doula Supporting a Couple

State Approaches to Supporting the Community-Based Doula Workforce

Community-based doulas provide non-clinical emotional, physical, and informational support to expectant parents, starting during pregnancy and continuing throughout the postpartum period.
Happy toddler girl in yellow blouse

State Policy Academy: Early Childhood Governance

State approaches to early childhood governance vary widely — and those choices affect whether families can access the services they need. The State Policy Academy: Early Childhood Governance, explores how organizational decisions impact the effectiveness of programs and services for young children and their families.
A small child sits on a soft mat, focused on stacking colorful rings and holding a toy, while a caregiver engages nearby in a warm home setting

Renewed Support from the Buffett Early Childhood Fund Fuels Continued Growth and Impact at the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center

Funding will support policy research and evidence translation to inform state action and improve outcomes for young children and families As families navigate evolving social and economic challenges, advancing evidence-based policy solutions is critical. The
Washington State Capitol Legislative Building

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Landscape in 2026

This blog post outlines the state policy changes in effect since the release of our 2025 Roadmap, providing timely and up-to-date context for consideration as policy discussions continue in 2026.
Photograph of a young girl smiling

New Reports Illustrate Historical Patterns of Inequity in Policy Design and Their Impact Across Generations

Tracing policy decisions from early America to today, the reports reveal how long-standing choices continue to shape access and outcomes for families The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University published the first installment in
Dr. Cynthia Osborne, professor of early childhood education and policy at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and executive director of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center

Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center Executive Director Cynthia Osborne elected president-elect of APPAM

Osborne will lead the nation’s premier public policy research association, shaping its 2026 Fall Research Conference and advancing excellence in policy analysis and management Dr. Cynthia Osborne, professor of early childhood education and policy at Vanderbilt University’s