Research Connections’ librarians have curated this page to include publications that may be of particular interest to child care and early education policymakers, professionals supporting the workforce, and researchers. The publications were selected because they align with federal priorities, seasonal priorities, current events, or national interest. Many of the highlighted publications have been featured in Research Connections newsletters.
Infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) is a method of preventing early childhood expulsion and suspension used in all 50 states. This review provides an updated look at the recent body of literature on the positive impact of IECMHC in ECE settings. The review discusses…
How did child care directors respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic? This study analyzes a survey of 27 child care directors on the unique challenges introduced by the pandemic. Many identified concerns with staffing and financial issues, increased stress, and a disruption in the…
A close, supportive teacher-student relationship in early childhood can have long-lasting effects. This study uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study to look at the role of teacher-student closeness and factors like cognitive flexibility and reading motivation on student reading…
Identifying and engaging with dual-language learners (DLLs) and their families during early childhood years can significantly affect their ECE experience. This report discusses policies at the federal, state, and local levels regarding the identification of DLLs in early care and education…
This bibliography presents resources from the Research Connections library related to the NSECE. It can be a useful reference tool for researchers and policymakers and provide quick access to NSECE data sets, user guides, official research findings, and more.
Four interested groups came together to successfully prepare the first national study of children served by Region XI Head Start programs. Region XI Head Start directors, researchers affiliated with the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC), researchers from Mathematica, and federal staff…
This special issue collects articles from the United States and around the world regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the ECE sector. The articles cover a range of topics, such as remote learning for special education in the United States and the wellbeing of ECE providers during the pandemic.…
This interactive resource from the Urban Institute provides national and state fact sheets that cover the child care needs of families who work nontraditional hours. The snapshots also discuss each state’s proposed policies for child care during nontraditional hours using data from Child Care…
What are the effects of child care assistance policy changes? This study from Michigan Child Care Policy Research Partnership looks at five policy changes aimed at improving access to high-quality care. The authors explore how each policy impacts child care subsidy application approval and use.…
This brief from the McCormick Center presents nationwide data collected with the Program Administration Scale from 2010 to 2021. Findings suggest that most programs “do not have well-developed administrative practices in place to support program sustainability and long-term quality” (p. 1). The…
Food insecurity can be felt by children, their families, and their teachers. This study, published in the journal Appetite, explores how food insecurity affects the classroom using quantitative and qualitative data. These data include interviews with early care and education teachers on their…
Two-generation programs, which provide services to children and their parents simultaneously, are increasing in number across the United States. This report from the Urban Institute looks at three case studies in cities across the U.S. to estimate the staff labor cost of a two-generation program…
This literature review published by NIEER examines research regarding infant/toddler care over the span of more than three decades. The review highlights key findings from the literature, including the relationship between the Child Care and Development Fund and quality child care. The author…