ACF Banner
[NCCIC header image][NCCIC Header Image]

Early Care and Education Systems Building Initiatives: Research Overview

States have begun to systematically coordinate and restructure the system of providing and supporting early care and education. There has been increased collaboration resulting in development of early childhood systems that function across programs and agencies. Key stakeholders have included agencies that address educational services, child care subsidies, child care licensing, special education, health and social services, nutritional services, parent education and participation, program evaluation, and staff development. Leadership has come from various sources, including governors, legislators, and key players in State agencies. 

Early Child Care and Education: State Governance Structure, posted on the National Child Care Information Center’s (NCCIC) Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/ece_structure.html,  has information for each State about which State agencies are responsible for child care subsidies, licensing, quality outcome initiatives, Head Start State Collaboration Offices, State-funded prekindergarten, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Section 619, and IDEA Part C Early Intervention.

The following are some examples of national and State studies on early care and education systems. These examples do not include all resources on this topic, but represent a range of approaches States have taken to implement comprehensive early care and education systems. Additional resources can be found by searching NCCIC’s Library at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?do=oll.search. NCCIC does not endorse any organization, publication, or resource.

State Resources

The State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) initiatives are supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. MCHB provides grants to help States plan, develop, and implement collaborations and partnerships to support families and communities in raising children who are healthy and ready to learn at school entry. Most SECCS plans are on the Web at http://www.state-eccs.org/stateplans/index.htm. Additional information on this initiative is available on the States’ SECCS Web site at http://www.state-eccs.org/index.htm. A summary of SECCS initiatives is posted on the Project THRIVE Web site at http://www.nccp.org/projects/thrive_.html.

In addition to the SECCS materials, the following is a sample of State reports that examine the governance and management structures of the early care and education systems.

Connecticut

  • An Examination of Management and Governance Options for Early Childhood Investments in Connecticut (October 27, 2006), by Kin Bohen, prepared for the Subcommittee on Management and Infrastructure, Connecticut Governor’s Early Childhood Research and Policy Council, examines seven potential governance/management options to administer Connecticut’s new early childhood investments, which stem from the work of the Governor’s Early Childhood Education Cabinet. The required functions of management will include leadership, policy, planning and system building, resource allocation, program management, fundraising, accountability, and communications. Summaries of State models are presented from Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. This resource is available on the Web at www.ecpolicycouncil.org/docs/Options_for_EC_Governance_appendix_a.pdf.

Hawaii

  • Temporary Early Childhood Education Task Force: Report to the 2006 Hawaii State Legislature (2006), by the Hawaii Temporary Early Childhood Education Task Force, provides a conceptual model for establishing an early childhood learning system for Hawaii, including statements of vision, mission, goals, and guiding principles that informed the process of devising this model, and findings from research supporting components of the proposed framework. This resource is available on the Web at www.hawaii.edu/hepc/ece/ECE_TF_FINAL122105.pdf.

Maine

  • Early Care and Education Strategic Planning in Maine: A Summary of Current Activities (2004), by Louise Stoney and Carolyn Drugge, Office of Child Care and Head Start, Maine Department of Human Services, summarizes the results of plans to strengthen the early care and education system in Maine. While multiple planning efforts have occurred, in most cases they do not appear to be duplicative. However, there has been a lack of coordination among the planning efforts and failure to utilize prior planning to build a system of early care and education. Initiatives are described that focus on systemic planning, data collection, professional development, and finance. This resource is available on the Web at www.maine.gov/dhhs/occhs/earlycare.pdf.

Nebraska

  • Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council: Report from Quality Child Care Worthy Wage Task Force (2004), by the Nebraska Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council, presents ways that Nebraska can improve the quality of care and education for all young children. Recommendations from the task force focus on three areas: governance, public/private partnerships, and quality child care/worthy wages. The report stresses that it is essential that Nebraska maintain effective and collaborative leadership for early care and education. This resource is available on the Web at www.nde.state.ne.us/ecicc/QCCTask%20force_%20Report.pdf.

Ohio

  • System Design Work Groups Content Papers (January 2006), by the School Readiness Solutions Group, presents content papers by the work groups. The Solutions Group is charged with developing recommendations on policies and practices that will define Ohio’s early childhood learning services. This resource is available on the Web at www.schoolreadiness.ohio.gov/System_Content.htm.

National Overview

The following is a sample of studies about early care and education systems, including information about governance structures, legislation, financing strategies, and interagency collaboration.

  • State of the States’ ECCS Initiatives (July 2007), by the National Center for Children in Poverty’s (NCCP) Project THRIVE, summarizes results of the project’s review of SECCS initiatives. Much progress has been made toward creating comprehensive systems of early childhood services. More effort is needed to assure equal emphasis across subsystems, provide support to community efforts, and develop the governance and structural mechanisms needed to sustain system efforts. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_748.pdf.

  • Building Connections: Six State Case Studies of Early Childhood Systems Building at the State and Local Levels (June 2006), by Charles Bruner, Julia Coffman, and Michelle Stover Wright, published by the Build Initiative, provides case studies of early childhood system building efforts in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Vermont. This resource is available on the Web at www.buildinitiative.org/docs/State_Case_Studies_Final.doc. The accompanying document, Building Connections Cross-State Summary Matrix (June 2006), is available on the Web at www.buildinitiative.org/docs/Cross-State_Matrix_Final.doc.
  • Early Learning Legislation 2005: Overview of Trends and Issues (March 2006), by Mimi Howard, Education Commission of the States, reviews the work of State legislatures during 2005 and summarizes key policy decisions in several areas, including governance and coordination of early learning services and programs, and program and personnel quality. This resource is available on the Web at www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/68/33/6833.doc.
  • Common Purpose: Sharing Responsibility for Child and Family Outcomes (October 2006), by Lisbeth B. Schorr, published by NCCP’s Project THRIVE, summarizes what SECCS coordinating teams need to know about the hard work of creating systems change. The information is from a keynote presentation delivered at the Early Childhood Networking Meeting held September 25–26, 2006, in Reston, VA. This resource is available on the Web at www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_671.pdf.
  • Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems that Spend Smarter: Maximizing Resources to Serve Vulnerable Children (February 2006), by Kay Johnson and Jane Knitzer, NCCP, examines SECCS grant projects to identify ways they can promote smarter spending for vulnerable young children as they plan for and implement new, more integrated systems. Promising practices from SECCS projects are included to illustrate finance strategies. The brief focuses on strategies for SECCS leaders and their partner stakeholders to consider for immediate adoption in their own States or communities. This resource is available on the Web at www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_655.pdf.
  • Beyond Parallel Play: Emerging State and Community Planning Roles in Building Early Learning Systems (2006), by Julia Coffman, Michelle Stover Wright, and Charles Bruner, published by the State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network and the Build Initiative, examines the respective roles of State and community governance structures in building early learning systems. It includes case studies of six States (Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Vermont) where concerted efforts have been made to establish both State and community governance structures to work together in building those early learning systems. This resource also includes a survey instrument for States and communities to assess their work in building such systems. This resource is available on the Web at www.finebynine.org/pdf/Beyond%20Parallel%20Play%20Oct2006.pdf.
  • From Planning to Practice: State Efforts to Improve Early Childhood Education (March 2005), by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), describes efforts by six States (Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Wyoming) as part of an NASBE project to improve early childhood education. Each profile contains an overview of the State’s early childhood system, a chart illustrating program standards and certification requirements, a description of Early Childhood Network grant activities, and a summary of outcomes. Information about this resource is available from NASBE by calling 800-220-5183 or visiting the Web at www.nasbe.org/.

  • All Together Now: State Experiences in Using Community-Based Child Care to Provide Pre-Kindergarten (February 2005), by Rachel Schumacher, Danielle Ewen, Katherine Hart, and Joan Lombardi, commissioned by the Brookings Institution, published by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), studies the emergence of the mixed delivery model, in which prekindergarten is delivered in community-based settings and schools. It describes preliminary findings of the CLASP survey of 29 States that was undertaken to understand the policy choices, opportunities, and challenges of including community-based child care providers in prekindergarten programs. This resource is available on the Web at www.clasp.org/publications/all_together_now.pdf.

  • Building the Foundation for Bright Futures: Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness (January 2005), published by the National Governors Association (NGA), presents different options for State action and provides a policy framework for coordinating State decisions across programs and agencies. It is designed to assist governors and other State policy makers in implementing intervention policies and strategies that will support early childhood programs. The task force adopted a framework for school readiness that incorporates the elements of ready schools, communities, families, and children. This resource is available on the Web at www.nga.org/cda/files/0501TASKFORCEREADINESS.pdf.

  • Building the Foundation for Bright Futures: A Governor’s Guide to School Readiness (January 2005), published by NGA, is a companion piece to Building the Foundation for Bright Futures: Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness. It ties the State policy recommendations of the task force to concrete examples of State initiatives to promote school readiness. It includes key considerations for State policy makers and resources to help inform their decisions. This resource is available on the Web at www.nga.org/cda/files/0501GOVGUIDEREADINESS.pdf.

  • Building an Early Learning System: The ABCs of Planning and Governance Structures (December 2004), by Charles Bruner, Michelle Stover Wright, Barbara Gebhard, and Susan Hibbard, published by the State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network, presents helpful models for States to consider when developing planning and governance structures for early learning systems. It notes that multiple planning and governance structures are needed to build an early learning system. The appendices include descriptions of State planning and governance structures, and a chart that illustrates State structures responsible for planning and governance in early childhood and school readiness. This resource is available on the Web at www.finebynine.org/pdf/SECPTAN_Build_PROOF.pdf. A four-page policy brief is available on the Web at www.buildinitiative.org/pdf/Governance_policybrief.pdf.

  • Strategic Financing: Making the Most of the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative (January 2004), in the Building State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Series, #5, by Cheryl D. Hayes,  is intended to support planning and implementation of MCHB’s State Early Childhood Comprehensive Services (SECCS) Initiative. The report is organized into the following sections: (1) Financing Challenges to Developing Comprehensive Early Childhood Systems, (2) Principles to Guide Early Childhood Investments, (3) Keys to Successful Financing, and (4) Making the Most of SECCS: Strategies for Financing Comprehensive Early Childhood Initiatives. Several strategies are available for developing a broad and stable funding base for comprehensive early childhood systems. This resource is available on the Web at www.healthychild.ucla.edu/NationalCenter/FINANCE%20print%20copy%202.26.04.pdf.

  • Up and Running: A Compendium of Multi-Site Early Childhood Initiatives (July 2004), 2nd Edition, by the State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network (SECPTAN), provides a brief description of multi-State initiatives with a strong focus on early childhood and at least some emphasis on State policy development to improve early childhood care and education and school readiness. It includes information on several initiatives that support public/private partnerships. This resource is available on the Web at www.finebynine.org/pdf/SECPTAN_Multisite_10_04.pdf.

  • Aligning Public Finance Systems: How Can We Most Effectively Maximize Resources and Build Cohesive Early Care and Education Systems at the State Level? (2004), by Anne Mitchell and Louise Stoney, Smart Start National Technical Assistance Center, examines the linkages among different components of a high-quality early care and education system of financing, program, and practitioner standards. This resource is available on the Web at www.earlychildhoodfinance.org/handouts/Aligning%20public%20ECE%20systems.doc.

Updated September 2007

 
PDF Icon Need Adobe Reader?