High-quality Data Remain Crucial to Improving Early Childhood Systems

Since the Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC) first launched in 2009, it has remained consistent in its core vision: Through the effective sharing and use of early childhood data, states can increase access to and improve quality of early childhood programs for all families and support the early childhood workforce—leading to improved child outcomes. High-quality data, shared across programs, represent the key to improving the systems that serve young children and their families.

Even in today’s complex environment, where funding and policy priorities continue to shift and evolve, progress continues and opportunities for change abound. The ECDC had the honor of hosting a webinar in May 2026, Opportunities for States to Align Policy and Data to Drive Systems Change, where three esteemed panelists shared their perspectives on navigating access to and use of early childhood data to create real change. Several powerful themes emerged from their shared stories of progress:

• State leaders want early childhood programs to succeed—and data represent an essential tool. One panelist—Elijah McCabe, special assistant to the chief policy officer at the National Governors Association—shared that governors are increasingly focused on interconnected early childhood policy priorities: accessibility and affordability of child care, governance and system consolidation, and workforce stability. To grow these priorities and have them succeed, it’s essential to have the right data.
• It’s critical to integrate workforce data across multiple systems. Dr. Lea J.E. Austin made the case for publicly accessible, easy-to-use data to help policymakers, educators, and advocates understand the realities and inequities experienced within the early childhood workforce. The lack of reliable workforce data during the COVID-19 pandemic left many states unable to answer basic questions about the number of employees within the workforce—not to mention where they were located and what needs they experienced—which complicated the distribution of federal relief funds.
• Programmatic data must be combined with family survey data to paint a full picture. Cristi Carman, director of the RAPID Survey Project at the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, discussed how ongoing family and caregiver surveys can deepen [the field’s] understanding of child care access, economic stability, and family needs. She emphasized that families’ experiences change over time and that repeated, timely data collection is necessary to inform responsive policy making.