ECE Access Center

What We Do

At the ECE Access Center, we work with state and local leaders to build early care and education systems that are high-quality, accessible, equitable, and centered on families. For decades, we’ve partnered with leaders across the nation to deepen our understanding of the unique strengths and local contexts that drive policies and decision making. Drawing on our experience working with states and communities, we tailor our support to meet partners wherever they are in their journey, whether that means using data to answer key questions, strengthening workforce supports, or advancing comprehensive systems change. Families are engaged throughout every step of our work, so their voices shape decisions and our solutions truly reflect what families value and need. 

Our work is grounded in the Access Framework, which identifies various factors that influence families’ experiences finding and using care. When leaders apply the Framework, they can strengthen their systems to better align with families’ priorities and preferences.  

How we support early childhood systems 

Family engagement: We partner with families to ensure their insights and experiences guide our shared work. Our engagement strategies range from supporting and empowering family research ambassadors, to collaborating with families through advisory boards or paid consultant roles, to more informational and consultative approaches such as gathering feedback through interviews and focus groups. 

Evaluation: We evaluate access-related initiatives – including financial supports for families, workforce compensation programs, and quality improvement systems - to identify what works and where there’s room to improve, partnering with leaders to interpret findings and plan actionable next steps.

Technical assistance: We provide tailored technical assistance to help leaders address challenges, design strategies, analyze policies, and implement solutions that fit their state and community contexts. 

Data collection and analysis: We analyze existing data and collect new information to understand families’ needs and preferences, and to assess how well the current system is serving families. 

Peer learning: We connect leaders with a network of peers who are tackling similar access challenges and link them with community partners, supports, and resources to inform and strengthen their decisions. 

Resources and tools: We develop practical, user-friendly tools and resources—and make them available to all—to help leaders assess needs, apply evidence, and sustain system improvements.