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How States Structure Early Childhood Governance—and Why It Matters

Across the US, states take different approaches to governing early childhood programs, shaping how services are structured, how families access them, and how agencies coordinate support. Early childhood governance refers to the organization of government

How One Funder Invests in Policy & Systems Change for Family Mental Health

This is a guest post by Kim Gilsdorf, a Program Officer for the Perigee Fund, a national philanthropy committed to prenatal-to-age-3 mental health.  I work with organizations that support the mental health of families every

Partner Spotlight: Advocates Tell a Data-Driven Story About Texas Communities

The non-profit organization Texans Care for Children drives policy change to improve kids’ lives, helping them to grow up healthy, safe, and successful. But without local data, Texans Care for Children struggled to inform lawmakers

June Update: Prenatal-to-3 State Legislative Trends

Though most legislative sessions have adjourned, lawmakers and advocates across the country continue to advance efforts to support children and families. A lot can happen at the tail end of a legislative session, as Colorado

May Update: Prenatal-to-3 State Legislative Trends

Bipartisan momentum has advanced tax credit proposals across the country, a historic debate over Medicaid expansion continues in Mississippi, and several states made progress in the past month to provide doula services through Medicaid. By

The State Policy Implications of the New Federal Child Care Rule 

In late February, the federal government released a final rule that makes regulatory changes to the Child Care and Development Fund. The rule requires action from many states to ensure child care is affordable and

April Update: Prenatal-to-3 State Legislative Trends

Just like that, we find ourselves 3 months into the 2024 legislative sessions! In this month’s post, we cover legislative trends in five prenatal-to-3 policy areas we’re tracking across multiple states. Some efforts are near

How to Identify Rigorous Research for Evidence-Based Policymaking

State lawmakers face difficult choices about how to use scarce public resources. To ensure that investments have a big impact on young children, lawmakers often want to know—which policies actually work? The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact

March Update: Prenatal-to-3 State Legislative Trends

As we enter March, legislative sessions continue to heat up. From progress around Medicaid expansion in one Southern state to growing momentum on postpartum health care coverage, paid family leave (PFL), tax credits, and child

Beyond Tax Credits: State Tax Codes Can Help or Hurt Working Families

The clock is ticking for tax day. And which state a family lives in will have a significant impact on whether they owe taxes or receive a refund—a boost of crucial unrestricted cash for the