Governance change does not happen overnight, and states rarely accomplish it alone. Drawing on case studies of five states that consolidated their early childhood systems, a new brief from the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center identifies seven lessons learned, from sustained advocacy to strong, collaborative leadership, that can help state leaders pursue governance change reflecting their own early childhood goals.

State choices in early childhood governance shape whether families can easily find, access, and use the services their children need. A new brief from the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center maps how all 50 states and the District of Columbia organize these systems, identifying three governance typologies (whole child, school readiness, and parents' workforce participation) to help leaders align governance structure with their early childhood goals.