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Current Research in Early Childhood and State Policy
We conduct original program and policy research to understand problems, link policies to wellbeing, and describe the return on state leaders’ investments. Through mixed methods, we balance the use of qualitative and quantitative data to both maintain methodological rigor and highlight the nuance behind the data. This balance helps us describe why programs do or do not work. We perform benefit-cost analyses, data analyses, implementation evaluations, and impact studies. We help clients understand the implications of our findings, and we help clients translate our findings for a variety of audiences.
Assessing the Impact of Paid Family Leave Policies Across the US
We are conducting rigorous policy analyses to understand the impact of paid family leave on child, family, and labor market outcomes across the United States, with a focus on understanding how variation in state implementation decisions, such as wage replacement rates and length of leave, impacts outcomes. Our ongoing work includes studying variation in paid family leave across states, examining the impact that variation in policy choices has on benefits received, and filling gaps in the evidence base on the effectiveness of paid family leave.
Dallas, Texas Child Care Deserts Project
We are studying child care access in Dallas County neighborhoods. We are conducting research to examine supply and demand in eight zip codes that are child care deserts, meaning that supply is insufficient to meet local family demand. We are surveying child care providers and parents with young children across these zip codes, taking a deep dive to learn more about the types of child care needed and desired and the experiences and challenges providers face. ChildCareGroup contracted with us to conduct this research and will use our findings to inform their local advocacy and investments efforts in Dallas, ensuring that policy action meets needs at the most local levels.
Early Childhood Governance Study
The purpose of this study is to understand how state governance of early childhood programs and services is associated with the prioritization of early childhood within a state, the efficiency of distributing funding to early childhood services, the interconnection of early childhood services across institutions and systems, and the generosity and reach of early childhood services across states.
The analysis will begin with a 51-state (including the District of Columbia) landscape scan of early childhood program and policy administration and governance to identify patterns of governance, as well as how governance has evolved over the last decade or so.
Based on these patterns, we will then select three to five states to conduct in-depth qualitative case studies, including key informant interviews and focus groups with state agency staff, community advocates, and/or key stakeholders. Our goal will be to learn about the advantages and challenges of different strategies for organizing early childhood programs and services.
As states consider the best way to serve families with young children, our research will inform decisions on whether to consolidate or disperse administration and governance of early childhood programs and services.
Dallas-Fort Worth Child Care Workforce Study
Child Care Associates is contracting with us to conduct a study analyzing the Dallas-Fort Worth child care workforce. Through a survey of child care directors across three workforce regions, we will analyze the current supply of early childhood educators, their education and experience (including early childhood education credentials), demographic characteristics, and current rate of pay. Our comprehensive data on the child care workforce will inform long-term strategic planning efforts to create and sustain a thriving, high-quality early childhood education workforce in North Texas.
