Research Connections’ librarians have curated this page to include publications that may be of particular interest to child care and early education policymakers, professionals supporting the workforce, and researchers. The publications were selected because they align with federal priorities, seasonal priorities, current events, or national interest. Many of the highlighted publications have been featured in Research Connections newsletters.
Could strong positive relationships between students and teachers help mediate expulsion risks? This study examines the relationship between preschool children’s inhibitory control and their risk of expulsion. Findings indicate that better inhibitory control is associated with a lower risk of…
This review covers more than 40 studies on professional development approaches for managing classrooms and providing behavioral support skills. Findings show most studies focus on educators from Head Start and public preschools. Professional development approaches included strategies for…
Could participation in high-quality ECE equip children who are at risk for educational failure with skills on par with their more advantaged peers? This study examines children randomly assigned as infants to participate in an enhanced Early Head Start–Head Start program. The study finds…
What are the effects of child care assistance policy changes? This study from Michigan Child Care Policy Research Partnership looks at five policy changes aimed at improving access to high-quality care. The authors explore how each policy impacts child care subsidy application approval and use.…
This brief from the McCormick Center presents nationwide data collected with the Program Administration Scale from 2010 to 2021. Findings suggest that most programs “do not have well-developed administrative practices in place to support program sustainability and long-term quality” (p. 1). The…
Food insecurity can be felt by children, their families, and their teachers. This study, published in the journal Appetite, explores how food insecurity affects the classroom using quantitative and qualitative data. These data include interviews with early care and education teachers on their…
Two-generation programs, which provide services to children and their parents simultaneously, are increasing in number across the United States. This report from the Urban Institute looks at three case studies in cities across the U.S. to estimate the staff labor cost of a two-generation program…
This literature review published by NIEER examines research regarding infant/toddler care over the span of more than three decades. The review highlights key findings from the literature, including the relationship between the Child Care and Development Fund and quality child care. The author…
In this report, the Bipartisan Policy Center presents findings from its December 2020 national survey. According to their survey results, child care run by a faith-based organization is used by more than half (53 percent) of working parents who use center-based care. Higher income families tend…
Understanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young children and ECE programs is essential. The University of Michigan and the Urban Institute published this synthesis of 76 studies, which offers evidence of the pandemic’s impact. The authors also provide policy recommendations informed…
Even with rapid and widespread expansion of states’ quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS)—tiered frameworks that assess, communicate, and improve early childhood education (ECE) quality—there exists no population-level information regarding which providers choose to participate in these…
Describing access across multiple dimensions provides decision makers with a deeper understanding of families’ ECE needs and emphasizes the need for multi-faceted policy solutions. Yet measuring and comparing access from different perspectives requires available data and a clear measurement…