Strengthen Early Childhood Data Systems to Inform Policy and Improve Programs
The Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC) partners with states and communities to build coordinated early childhood data systems that answer policymakers’, practitioners’, and families’ key questions. We combine expertise in early childhood policy, research, data systems, governance, and evaluation to help our partners move from fragmented data to coordinated systems that support better decisions for children and families.
Our approaches go beyond simply using technology to improve systems. We help partners establish a clear vision for how data will be used, strengthen the policies and governance that support data sharing and coordination, and build the capacity to turn data into actionable information. We customize our technical assistance to each partner’s priorities, existing infrastructure, and stage of development.
ECDC offers a range of technical assistance:
ECDC helps partners define what they need their data systems to accomplish before determining what technology to build. We support strategic planning, landscape analyses and data mapping, stakeholder engagement, and the identification of priority policy and research questions that coordinated data can help answer.
Strong data systems depend on strong governance. We help agencies establish the structures, roles, processes, and agreements needed to make decisions about data collection, access, sharing, privacy, quality, and use across programs and agencies.
ECDC helps translate policy and research priorities into sustainable data infrastructure. We provide guidance on data models, system architecture, interoperability, technology, staffing and organizational capacity, and implementation planning—all grounded in a comprehensive understanding of how early childhood programs and agencies operate.
We help partners develop research and policy agendas and use integrated data to answer questions that matter for making decisions. This service might include examining access to services; understanding the characteristics and needs of children, families, and the early childhood workforce; identifying service gaps; and assessing how programs and policies are working, and for whom.
Spending time collecting and integrating data is only valuable if people can use those data. ECDC helps partners translate complex information into actionable insights via dashboards, data visualizations, public reports, policy briefs, and data stories. We also support data literacy and equitable approaches to interpreting and communicating data.
ECDC works alongside partners as systems evolve, helping them identify implementation challenges, establish feedback loops, and strengthen internal capacity. Support can include individualized consultation and coaching, facilitated cross-agency work, communities of practice, trainings, webinars, and tools designed for continued use after technical assistance ends.
Where should I begin?
Effective data systems begin with purpose and vision. ECDC works collaboratively with state and community partners to identify the questions they need answered and the decisions they need to make. We then help them determine the kinds of data, governance, infrastructure, and analytic capacity needed to achieve those goals.
This approach helps us—and our partners—ensure that investments in data infrastructure respond to real policy and program needs, and not simply to technological requirements. Whether a partner is beginning to develop a coordinated early childhood data system, strengthening an existing system, or seeking to make better use of available data, ECDC can provide support at every stage.
Why bring in early childhood data experts?
ECDC brings nationally recognized expertise in coordinated early childhood data systems (Early Childhood Integrated Data Systems), data governance, cross-agency collaboration, research and policy analysis, data integration and interoperability, stakeholder engagement, equitable data communication, and continuous quality improvement.
Our technical assistance is informed by years of working with states and communities and by ECDC-developed resources, including the 10 Fundamentals of Coordinated State Early Care and Education Data Systems and the STEP Forward with Data Framework. These and other resources provide research-informed approaches for developing coordinated, sustainable, and effective early childhood data systems.
From data to decisions
Technology alone does not improve outcomes. The value of a coordinated early childhood data system comes from its ability to provide useful information to support key decisions.
ECDC helps its partners build the data infrastructure, governance, and research capacity needed to turn data into decision-making tools—which, in turn, drive actions to build stronger early childhood systems for children and families.