Child Care and Early Education Research Connections

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The child care & early education glossary defines terms used to describe aspects of child care and early education practice and policy; the research glossary defines terms used in conducting social science and policy research, for example those describing methods, measurements, statistical procedures, and other aspects of research.

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W
Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK)
A movement within the U.S. education system to make access to Prekindergarten available to all children and families within a given jurisdiction, regardless of the child’s abilities and family income. UPK services can be offered in a Mixed Delivery System. States vary in what they define as “universal” and in how far they have progressed, or desire to progress, towards implementation.
Unlicensed Child Care
Child care programs that have not been licensed by the state. The term often refers both to Legally/License-Exempt Child Care such as FFN Child Care that can legally operate without a license as well as a program that illegally operates without a license. Unlicensed child care is also referred to as unregulated or non-regulated child care.
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