This page is intended to be a resource hub for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies, their research partners, and other researchers studying topics related to early care and education. We include all the resources developed through one of the three research and evaluation capacity building centers operated by the Urban Institute to help CCDF Lead Agencies. These tools and resources were designed to help CCDF Lead Agencies build their research capacity, use administrative data to address key early care and education research questions, collect data from providers and families to help inform decisions about early care and education policies and programs, and engage communities to improve research quality.
Building Research Capacity Tools
These tools aim to support state, territory, and Tribal agencies in building their general capacity to use and conduct rigorous research on early care and education.
- A Logic Model to Support the Study of Local Child Care Subsidy Payment Policies and Practices(Report)
- How to Build and Strengthen Partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies and Early Care and Education Researchers(Brief)
- Partnering with Parents in Research: Community-Engaged Approaches to Improve Data Collection and Analysis(Brief)
- Research Plan Essentials: A Primer for CCDF Lead Agencies(Research and evaluation tool)
- Procuring Research and Evaluation Services(Research report)
- Research and Evaluation Capacity Building: A Resource Guide for Child Care and Development Fund Lead Agencies(Resource guide)
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Conducting Rapid Analyses for Data-Based Decisionmaking during the COVID-19 Crisis (Webinar slides PDF)
- Link to a slide deck for the webinar.
- Evaluating Training and Professional Development for Home-Based Providers: A Brief for CCDF Agencies and Researchers (Research brief)
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Finding Research to Answer Child Care and Early Education Policy Questions: A Webinar for CCDF Lead Agencies (Webinar)
- Link to a recording and transcript of the webinar.
- Developing Research Questions to Get Answers for Policy and Practice (Webinar)
- Link to a recording and transcript of the webinar.
- How to Build and Strengthen Partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies and Early Care and Education Researchers (Brief)
- Partnering with Parents in Research: Community-Engaged Approaches to Improve Data Collection and Analysis (Brief)
- Research and Evaluation Capacity: Self-Assessment Tool and Discussion Guide for CCDF Lead Agencies (Self-assessment tool)
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Conducting Rapid Analyses for Data-Based Decisionmaking during the COVID-19 Crisis (Webinar slides PDF)
- Link to a slide deck for the webinar.
- Using a Narrow Cost Analysis to Inform Payment Rates (Brief)
- Approaches to Narrow Cost Analysis (Research report)
- Defining Narrow Cost Analysis (Brief)
Tools for Early Care and Education Data Collection
The resources below provide tips for collecting data from providers and families to help inform decisions about early care and education policies and programs.
- Tips on Developing Surveys of Child Care Providers (Research brief)
- Want to Understand What Child Care Programs Need during the Pandemic? These Five Survey Tips Could Help (Blog post)
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Using Child Care Provider Surveys to Inform Policy Responses to COVID-19 (Webinar slides)
- Link to a recording and transcript of the webinar.
- Nine Tips for Engaging Home-Based Child Care Providers in Research (Blog Post)
- A List of COVID-19 Child Care Surveys and Data Analyses (Resource guide)
- Engaging Stakeholders in Research: Tips for CCDF Lead Agencies(Brief)
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Answering More Child Care Policy Questions: Pairing Stakeholder Perspectives with Your Data (Webinar slides)
- Link to a recording of the webinar.
Collecting and Using Administrative Data
Administrative data are collected and maintained as part of the operation of government programs. The resources below aim to support administrators and researchers in using and analyzing administrative data to address key early care and education research questions.
- Administrative Data Show Where You Live May Determine Your Access to Child Care (Blog Post)
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A Dozen Policy Questions You Can Answer with Your Agency’s Administrative Data (Webinar Slides)
- Link to a recording of the webinar.
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Mapping Answers to Child Care Questions: Comparing Your Agency’s Administrative Data with Other Data (Webinar slides)
- Link to a recording of the webinar.
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Conducting Rapid Analyses for Data-Based Decisionmaking during the COVID-19 Crisis (Webinar slides)
- Link to a slide deck for the webinar.
Engaging Communities
Engaging communities can improve the quality of research and help inform and gain buy-in for program and policy recommendations. Below are resources on engaging communities in child care and early education research.
- Partnering with Parents in Research: Community-Engaged Approaches to Improve Data Collection and Analysis (Brief)
- Partnering with Parents in Research: A Quick Guide for CCDF Lead Agencies (Guide)
- Measuring and Supporting Child-Teacher Interactions: A State and Tribal Story (Webinar slides)
- Link a recording of the webinar.
- Engaging Stakeholders in Research: Tips for CCDF Lead Agencies (Brief)
- Six Strategies for a More Inclusive Understanding of How COVID-19 is Affecting Families’ Child Care Needs (Blog post)
- Answering More Child Care Policy Questions: Pairing Stakeholder Perspectives with Your Data (Webinar slides)
- Link to a recording of the webinar.
- How to Tell the Story of Language Revitalization and Cultural Resilience Strategies in Tribal CCDF Programs (Webinar slides)
- Link to a recording and transcript of the webinar.
