Category: Education

ACF develops framework for trauma-informed child care and early education systems

A new ACF report offers a framework for developing trauma-informed child care and early education settings. Although trauma-informed approaches specific to early care and education are nascent, evidence from related sectors (e.g., schools, child welfare) can inform key components. Some identified elements include partnering with organizations offering trauma-informed supports (e.g., health care systems), drawing on … Read more

Mothers’ participation in a two-tiered parenting education program mutually reinforced attendance in both the universal and targeted interventions

A recent paper examines how a parenting program’s tiered approach might influence program attendance. Based in two urban hospitals, 201 mothers of infants attended the universal, prevention-focused intervention, with a subset of 90 higher-risk mothers eligible for a more intensive targeted intervention. Mothers with low educational attainment and parenting efficacy were more likely to attend. … Read more

Literature review considers link between early childhood education and care policies and family violence outcomes

A synthesis of peer-reviewed journal articles considers whether policies expanding early childhood care and education (ECCE) access might serve as family violence prevention strategies. Considering articles published from 1996 to 2021, the authors examine studies that link child care subsidy receipt, Head Start participation, and universal pre-kindergarten enrollment, to child maltreatment and partner violence outcomes. … Read more

OPRE report identifies elements of successful coordinated services partnership models

A new research brief takes stock of efforts to coordinate early childhood education systems with other kinds of family services including income supports and parent-focused services, often with a two-generation lens. These “coordinated service models” are not yet common, so the researchers interviewed 18 leaders of such efforts around the country, aiming to identify promising … Read more

Wide variety in comprehensiveness of states childcare consumer education websites

A new report from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation assesses and compares states’ early childhood education consumer education websites, with special focus on the comprehensiveness and ease of access. The evaluation finds that most states’ websites include information about the availability of childcare subsidies, but far fewer were comprehensive in addressing other elements … Read more

Preschool enrollment continued to inch upward pre-pandemic

The U.S. Census Bureau tracks changes in preschool enrollment between 2005 and 2019, finding that just under half of 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled. Although overall enrollment has fluctuated by just a few percentage points over time, the more consistent trend is the shift toward public preschool, as more states implement their own public programs. … Read more

Barriers and opportunities to connecting home-based childcare providers with federal programs

A new paper from the Urban Institute focuses on supporting home-based childcare (HBCC) providers’ participation in federal programs, from childcare scholarships to financial supports from the Small Business Administration. The report cites evidence that during the pandemic, parents have preferred the smaller and more flexible settings HBCC providers offer. The authors cite unfamiliarity with the … Read more

Adding data on social emotional learning and school climate did not improve the accuracy of identifying students at risk, but may support interventions

School districts tend to rely solely on academic measures to identify students who are struggling or “at-risk” of poor academic outcomes such as not graduating or being college ready. Researchers at the Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Mid-Atlantic wondered if adding measures of school climate and social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies might improve the accuracy … Read more