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…
This article explores teacher turnover in early care and education (ECE) settings. It uses data collected by the state of Louisiana as part of its quality rating and improvement system (QRIS). The data help answer questions about whether teachers who leave differ significantly from teachers who…
This report uses data from center-based providers to look at the relationship between price of child care and quality of care. The report finds that some indicators of quality, such as professional development participation and education levels among staff, are associated with higher cost of…
This publicly available journal article looks to the Great Recession (2007-2009) for information about the economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The article examines the enrollment rates of Head Start programs during the Great Recession and shows that higher rates of enrollment…
This report looks at the effectiveness of voluntary summer learning programs in five school districts across the United States. The study examines whether participation in summer learning impacts student achievement the following fall.
This brief provides an overview of the changes in infant/toddler care from 2012 to 2019 and discusses the policy and research implications of those changes. While parental care remains the most prevalent care option for infants and toddlers, the data show a trend toward increased center-based…
This report includes a list of resources curated for researchers and Child Care and Development Fund Administrators who analyze administrative data. These resources explain how to acquire, use, manage, link, and analyze data regarding children, families, and ECE providers.
This study looks at the factors associated with ECE staff turnover rates in child care centers. The findings indicate that some factors, such as higher pay, are associated with lower turnover rates. Turnover is significantly lower in state-funded preschool programs than for centers where parents…
This guide offers guidance, frameworks, and examples from Child Care and Development Fund program grantees. It can be useful to decisionmakers who are intent on supporting children’s social-emotional wellness.
This study examines the physical activity environments in child care centers and FCC homes in both rural and urban areas. The study found that centers score higher than FCC homes in physical activity best practices. In urban areas, centers and FCC homes reported higher scores than those in rural…
This study examines the factors that predict ECE teachers’ work engagement. The study investigates teachers from Head Start, center-based, and licensed home-based programs. Findings suggest that providing ECE teachers with personal and professional resources may improve workplace engagement.