A new guide is available from Child Trends to help states apply for federal home visiting grants. The guide outlines key steps for completing the grant application process and provides national and state-level data useful to applicants conducting needs assessments, identifying high-risk populations, and selecting and measuring benchmarks.

A new Child Trends brief provides an overview of state Early Learning Guidelines and efforts to monitor statewide school readiness across multiple domains of development and outlines key policy considerations for supporting and tracking school readiness at the state level.

This report is the first product of the QRS Assessment project and provides detailed information on 26 QRS nationwide and comparison tables to facilitate review across states and individual profiles on the 26 state systems reviewed.

Research on the importance of the early childhood years has compelled states to support children’s school readiness. This brief provides an overview of states’ Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs) for children age birth to five and current statewide school readiness assessment practices.

This report from NCSL, presents an analysis of overall trends in early care and education budget decisions and actions in child care, prekindergarten, home visiting and related early childhood investments.

This white paper, from the National Council of La Raza, examines how states are working to build comprehensive early learning standards and to address issues of professional development to ensure the success of Latino and English language learner children and families.

President Obama, on February 1, presented his FY 2011 budget proposal to Congress. This document from CLASP, offers a blueprint of the president's early childhood education spending priorities for the coming year.
 

The Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC) is a new consortium of national organizations convened to help state policymakers build, link, and use early childhood data systems.

A new technical assistance opportunity from ZERO TO THREE to support states in the integration of Early Head Start and existing early childhood systems to expand high-quality services for infants and toddlers. 

This presentation from CLASP provides an overview of the data-based metrics included in the House Early Learning Challenge Fund legislation.

Learn more about how the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009 will impact children and their families in this fact sheet from the National Women’s Law Center.

Learn how 4 states are using innovative financing structures that effectively utilize and coordinate state, federal and private funding streams for early childhood programs. From ZERO TO THREE and the Ounce of Prevention.

This fact sheet from the Center on Law and Social Policy, provides a snapshot of CCDBG program participation 2008.

A new policy report from CLASP analyzes what the 50 states and DC reported in their state CCDBG plans for FY 2008-2009.

A new paper from CLASP explores how home visiting can be responsive to the realities of children's daily lives when they spend significant time in the care of someone other than a parent.

An interactive site that provides videos and other resources on the economic benefits of investing in high quality early education programs.

Eating right and avoiding hunger are keys to healthy child development according to this paper from the Children’s Health Watch.

Negative stress at an early age can have a lasting impact on a child’s brain development according to this paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.

This guide from the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation helps decision-makers understand evaluation information by posing five key questions evaluation research.

Learn how home visiting programs have evolved and improved over the years and how they will continue to move forward, from the Ounce of Prevention.

A report from the American Psychological Association details how pre-kindergarten affects a child’s cognitive development.

This paper from the Rand Corporation evaluates early intervention programs and how they can provide big returns on their investments to society.

This brief from the Center on the Developing Child, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Governors Association identifies innovative early childhood programs that improve outcomes for children.

Find out why early childhood development programs should be at the top of state governments' economic development lists.

From Jim Heckman with support from Committee for Economic Development, this paper argues for publicly funded investments in disadvantaged children.

Learn how early education can improve economic outcomes for states and the nation from the Committee for Economic Development.

From the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, an overview of the science of early childhood brain development as it relates to policies and programs that improve outcomes for at risk children.

This piece from the Center on the Developing Child, bridges the disconnect between science and policy in the realm of early childhood development.

Find out how toxic substances can stunt a child’s development in this paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.

This paper From the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child shows how a child develop and learn from the people the important people in their lives.

Find out how stress and adversity can have a negative impact on early childhood development and how this can be addressed with effective state policies, from the Center on the Developing Child, NCSL and NGA.

A study from CCSSO and Child Trends that explores the developmental disparities between young children ages 0-5 with a low socioeconomic status and their peers.

Learn how to be a more effective advocate for children with ZERO TO THREE’s advocacy tools and resources.

Lean how to support early literacy and language development in young children in this issue brief from Voices for America's Children.

From The United Way’s Born Learning Campaign, a communication toolkit to help inform business leaders about investments in early childhood.

The Ounce of Prevention argues for increasing investments in early education to even the odds for young poor children, and to reinvest for the future of the community.

A report from the Ounce of Prevention that helps states find ways to fund early childhood programs.

A review of home visiting programs and how they can be improved from the Ounce of Prevention.

A report from NCLR shows how high quality early childhood education programs can narrow the achievement gap between Latino and other children.

Learn how early education can be used as a tool to reduce crime from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.

Find out how this toolkit from National Council of La Raza can help advocates build strong effective strategies to help English language learner children.

This brief from the Center on the Developing Child, NCSL and NGA examines the science of a child’s developing brain and discusses the policy implication of the findings.

A collection of ARRA reports and resources from ZERO TO THREE. ARRA Related Links

A collection of ARRA reports and resources from NACCRRA. ARRA Related Links

A collection of ARRA reports and resources from CLASP. ARRA Related Links

An interactive map with state by state appropriations from the Center for American Progress. ARRA 50 State Information

This chart from the Administration for Children and Families shows how ARRA money through the Child Care and Development Block Grant is to be distributed. ARRA 50 State Information

From the Education Commission of the States provides examples of using short term funds to provide long term results. ARRA Guidance and Commentary

Urban Institute researchers take a closer look at key components of ARRA. ARRA Guidance and Commentary

ARRA Models on using Title I dollars to fund Early Care and Education Efforts from CLASP. ARRA Guidance and Commentary

From ZERO TO THREE, a breakdown of early childhood sections of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ARRA Overviews

This chart from NAEYC lays out the final conference agreement between the House and Senate. ARRA Overviews

An outline of Human Services Provisions contained in ARRA from NCSL. ARRA Overviews

From NCSL, an outline of Education provisions included in ARRA. ARRA Overviews

State childhood and early ed data from CLASP last updated in 2006.

A PowerPoint from CLASP that details ways that ARRA can be used to support women and children. ARRA

From ZERO TO THREE, details the paths taken by several different states in the creation of unique 0-5 systems. 

A governor’s guide to investing in early care and education from NGA. 

In this survey from NCSL, states reported an increase of over  $650 million in total appropriations to early care and education.

This report from NCSL shows an increase of over $1 billion to state early care and education programs from FY 2007 to FY 2008. 

Learn about several recommendations from ZERO TO THREE on how to revise early learning guidelines to improve outcomes for children ages 0-3.

This report discusses policy options for early care and education workforce development from NAEYC.

Dr. Edward Zigler offers suggestions on how to make Title I more effective for young children.

A report from the American Psychological Association that examines the impact early head start has on 3-year-olds and their families.

This report from ZERO TO THREE provides policy recommendations based on the National Evaluation of Head Start.

Danielle Ewen of CLASP outlines the importance of Head Start and Early Head Start as means of support for at risk children.

This report from CLASP, details the growth of pre-kindergarten through community based child care providers. Early Learning

A joint report from CLASP and NWLC explores how ARRA money can fund new child care policy options.

Learn the federal requirements for state Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds.  From The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). 

 A report from CLASP lays out 10 policy ideas to improve child care using federal ARRA funds.

From Build, how Quality Rating and Improvement Systems can be used to improve outcomes for English Language Learners.

This report from Build, discusses potential resources for early childhood and how ARRA funds could be used to support Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS).

Federal ARRA Site
U.S. Department of Education ARRA information
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ARRA information

State Recovery Pages

A collection of ARRA reports and resources from NAEYC. ARRA Related Links

In this paper, the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment looks to bridge the gap in perception and treatment between early care and education and K-12 in part, to help develop a coordinated research agenda.