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This brief uses new, nationally representative data from The National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) —funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—to describe critical elements in the decision-making process of parents and other caregivers regarding the non-parental care of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. 

Respondents (usually parents) in...

Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health) is a federal grant program administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Grants provide funding to communities for five years, pursuing dual goals of improving systems and services for young children and their families.   As of September, 2011, 24 grantees (in three separate cohorts) were funded, all of them representing areas with a high need for services...

This is the Program Guide for Head Start's 12th National Research Conference on Early Childhood – Collaboration and Coordination: Understanding Systems Supporting Young Children and Their Families...

This is the Addendum for Head Start's 12th National Research Conference on Early Childhood – Collaboration and Coordination: Understanding Systems Supporting Young Children and Their Families...

On May 6, 2014, Mathematica Policy Research held a technical work group meeting of experts to provide input on materials developed as part of the Study of Early Head Start (EHS)-Child Care Partnerships, funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families. Materials presented at the meeting included (1) preliminary findings from the literature review and (2) a theory of change model. The literature review examines studies on partnerships...

This research brief summarizes the state of the field on cultural competence in social services. The information is relevant for organizations serving children and families from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, but the brief highlights research and strategies in serving Hispanic populations. The brief describes cultural competence and provides service providers and administrators with concrete strategies for the ongoing self-reflection and development that is key to strengthening...

The grouping "Hispanic" often makes it challenging to observe important social experiences that relate strongly to the needs, service experiences, and outcomes of interest to ACF for various Hispanic subgroups. Existing federal surveys do not consistently collect data to sufficiently examine how Hispanic ethnicity interacts with other socio-cultural experiences or how it relates to specific outcomes. Because current measurement is inadequate to differentiate characteristics within...

What did the early childhood teaching and caregiving workforce look like in 2012? This research brief describes the Early Care and Education (ECE) workforce data developed in the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE). The survey focuses on individuals providing direct care and education for children birth through five years and not yet in kindergarten. Findings are based on over 10,000 questionnaires completed in 2012 by a sample of individuals representing about one million...

The Summary of Data Collection and Sampling Methodology brief describes the purpose of the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), sampling design and content for the four integrated, nationally representative surveys, and data collection methodology. The brief addresses distinctive features of the NSECE and provides examples of how the data allows for analyses to answer questions of interest to policy-makers and researchers...

A companion to the literature review entitled Human Services Research Dissemination: What Works...