DQC’s vision for state data systems that enable access to education and workforce data for individuals, the public, and policymakers is built upon the idea that data is critical for stakeholders at every level to make informed decisions—and many of these decision points begin in early childhood.
Early childhood is a crucial time for children and those who support them. Families with young children often rely on a variety of services to ensure that their child has what they need to thrive—including early care and education programs, early intervention, home visiting, and social assistance programs, among others. However, because of a lack of access to timely, robust early childhood data, stakeholders face a multitude of challenges:
- Families may have limited access to information about services that exist, whether or not those services have capacity, and whether or not they and their children are eligible to access those services;
- Service providers are often burdened by data submission requirements that provide no value to them; and
- Policymakers may have little information about which families are accessing which services in what combinations and what impacts those services are having, making it difficult to assess service gaps and allocate resources where they are needed.
The future of early childhood data systems must start with people. Our latest resource highlights how states can use their data systems to help improve child experiences and outcomes—and lay the foundation to connect robust early childhood data with statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs).
|
|
