Our Major Projects
Early Childhood Policy in Institutions of Higher Education (ECPIHE)
About the Study: The Early Childhood Policy in Institutions of Higher Education (ECPIHE) initiative seeks to enhance the study of, and experiences related to, early childhood policy in American institutions of higher education (IHEs). The initiative intends to establish a new field of inquiry, Early Childhood Policy (ECP), and train leaders to design, analyze, and advocate for constructive early childhood policies driven by research and evidence-based practice. Through the development of easily accessible, open-access sample tools, the creation of a community of IHEs and early childhood policy experts, and the establishment of centers modeled on the National Center for Children and Families, the ECPIHE initiative collaborates with various institutions of higher education around the country to develop and brand this novel field of ECP.
Early Advantage
The Early Advantage
Book 2 Now Available!
Building Systems that Work for Young Children
About the Study: As educators and policymakers around the globe grapple with how to best serve their youngest learners, a few systems are taking the lead. A new, groundbreaking study, The Early Advantage, finds that Australia, England, Finland, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea and Singapore are pioneering new but remarkably different visions for early childhood education and care (ECEC).
Read Case Studies and Systems at a Glance >>
New York City Universal Pre-K (UPK) Study
About the Study: As early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs have expanded across the country, policymakers are trying to build coherent ECEC systems that promote quality, equity, and efficiency. A challenge to implementing such efforts is that ECEC services are often overseen by diverse ministries, departments and/or agencies, such as those with responsibility for education, human service, community development, welfare, and/or social services. This lack of administrative cohesion often translates into services for youngsters that may be of less than optimal quality, inequitably distributed among children, and inefficiently operated. Causing confusion for families, policymakers, and practitioners, such uncoordinated governance is facing increased challenges as programs for young children expand under divergent auspices. Long concerned about such inhibitors to quality, the NCCF has conducted an empirical study of one such mixed-delivery system in New York City, where an ambitious policy initiative, Pre-K for All, has confronted the persistent challenges posed by a bifurcated administrative structure. The results of the analyses and their policy implications can inform policymakers across the country who are striving to create equitable, effective, and efficient ECEC systems.