In order to equitably serve all children, there is a pressing need to increase the quality of early care and education (ECE) programs and the quality and competencies of all those working in the field. Our proposed study aims to fill a gap in the ECE field by systematically analyzing ECE state-level policies to determine whether and how coaching is included, which specific coaching components (e.g., dosage, content, strategies) are provided, whether the coaching policies and practices are evidence-based, and the extent to which state-level agency policies are aligned with each other. To accomplish this goal, we rely on innovative policy analysis using existing data from several sources including states’ CCDF plans, state pre-K policy documents, and QRIS policies and guidelines. We specifically focus on ECE center-based policies when distinctions are made between home and center-based programs as more children are served in center-based programs and most preschool aged children in nonparental care are enrolled in some type of center-based care (Cui & Natzke, 2020). Recent research suggests that analyzing policy documents for alignment has the potential to illuminate where (mis)alignment may occur in state-level policies and raises important questions about how state systems can further coordinate to create streamlined processes and policy documents for ECE providers (e.g., Whitaker et al., 2022). (author abstract)