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

2025 National Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit

Did you miss the Summit? Click here to access the full recording.

New Report Finds Wide Disparities in Investments in Children’s Earliest Years Across States

POLICIES ADOPTED BY STATES DRIVE MAJOR DIFFERENCES IN THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES  Press Contact: Sydne Lewis, 615-343-9946, sydne.lewis@vanderbilt.edu The first three years of life are critical for healthy development, yet families in some states

Child Care: From Market Failure to Strategic Investment

High-quality child care is an essential service that benefits children, families, and the economy. However, rising costs and fragmented workforce structures are contributing to an overall market failure. Many families are finding reliable care to

2025 Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit​

Join us on September 30, 2025, to explore the latest Roadmap, expert insights, and strategies to strengthen support for young children and families.

State Policies to Promote Employer-Supported Child Care

Research suggests that the high cost of child care can lead many parents to limit their participation in the workforce, resulting in negative repercussions for families and the economy. Though increased public investment is needed

Approaches to Improving Early Educators’ Compensation

Early educators remain among the most underpaid workers in the nation despite playing a critical role in child development and enabling workforce participation for parents. Across the country, the median wage for early educators is