Early childhood program and system leaders need evidence-based information to support the important decisions they make every day on behalf of children and families. The purpose of the Child Care and Early Education Policy and Research Analysis (CCEEPRA) project is to support policy and program planning and decision-making with rigorous, research-based information. CCEEPRA activities aim to inform policies and practices related to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and other early childhood initiatives led by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).
Through CCEEPRA, Child Trends responds to the Agency’s requests high-priority issues in CCEE, by implementing research activities and sharing results and implications with federal, state, and regional leaders. Research topics and activities are informed through a partnership with the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families to ensure that the project activities address the needs of children and families with low incomes and reflect the experiences parents, early childhood programs, and the child care and early education workforce. as well as the child care and early education workforce. This work is intended to address critical issues in child care and early education (CCEE) field while building the capacity for new research and evaluation efforts.
Products supported through CCEEPRA are shared in a range of formats to support CCEE leaders in learning about emerging CCEE research. These products provide insights on supporting children and offer suggestions for how state, territory and federal policymakers can use data to better understand children’s needs and experiences. This work is funded by OPRE with research set aside funding within the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014.