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.

Featured

Early Investment, a Lifetime of Returns: Articulating the Value of Early Childhood Investments in Virginia

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

Research & Evaluation

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.

Information Requests

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 Support and Analysis

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.

Presentations

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.

Agenda Development

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.

Legislative Testimony

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

2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights

With most legislatures adjourned for the year, we recap the 2024 action on state policies to support children and families. So far this year, lawmakers throughout the country debated—and many passed—legislation that aligns with four key components of the prenatal-to-3 system of care.

Refundable Tax Credits: Uptake Patterns in Texas Reveal Opportunities for States to Support Families

States and community organizations can increase awareness of credits. Increasingly, the state and federal government use tax credits, such as the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit, to support families with low

Receiving Concrete Support Linked to Home Visiting Program Engagement

Evaluating Texas’s in-kind and monetary assistance during COVID-19 To promote nurturing and responsive parent-child relationships and healthy home environments, states can offer home visiting programs to expectant and new parents with young children. During the

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

The Impact of Expanded Income Eligibility for Child Care Subsidies: Analysis of Proposed State Legislation in 2024

State leaders can significantly increase the number of children eligible for child care subsidies across the country by expanding income eligibility thresholds. The level of income at which a family becomes initially eligible for child

State Policies to Promote Equity in Healthy Perinatal Outcomes: A Summary of the Evidence

Barriers to health care, high-quality health insurance, and parental leave work together to leave families and children vulnerable during the perinatal period. These barriers can shape life-long outcomes, particularly for children from historically marginalized groups.