Research Topic

Early Care and Education

Children’s early care and learning experiences set the foundation for lifelong learning and well-being. CCFP researchers study young children’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs and how early care and education providers can best meet those needs. Our teams develop, implement, and evaluate innovative programs and strategies to foster optimal development in early care and education settings.

Latest Research

Journal Articles

Reflecting on Infant/Toddler Mental Health and the Early Care and Education Workforce in North Carolina

COVID-19 has led to a child care workforce and mental health crisis for staff, families, and children under age three (infants and toddlers). The current level of stress for chil­dren, families, and infant-toddler early care and education professionals and its impact on infant and toddler well-being needs our attention.

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Journal Articles

Understanding Heterogeneity in the Impact of Public Preschool Programs

Estimates indicate that a child’s exposure to higher NC Pre-K funding was positively associated with that child’s academic achievement 6 years later. NC Pre-K funding effects on achievement were positive for all subgroups tested, and statistically significant for most.

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Working Papers

Effects of Daily School and Care Disruptions During the Covid-19 Pandemic on Child Mental Health

The pandemic profoundly affected American children with disruptions to their schooling and daily care. A new study found that service sector workers who had a young child reported disruption on 24 percent of days in fall 2020. The disruptions were more common in remote learning and had a negative impact on children’s behavior and on parenting mood and behavior.

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Katie Rosanbalm

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Kenneth Dodge

Read More About Kenneth Dodge
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Anna Rybinska

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North Carolina Infant Toddler Cost Feasibility Study – Parent and Provider Panels

Together with the Child Trends, researchers from CCFP are gathering feedback from parents and providers on what they think makes a high quality early care and education environment for infants and toddlers.

learn more about North Carolina Infant Toddler Cost Feasibility Study – Parent and Provider Panels
learn more about North Carolina Infant Toddler Cost Feasibility Study – Parent and Provider Panels

Families & Communities Rising Evaluation

CCFP researchers are working with Families and Communities Rising to select, implement, and evaluate a school readiness assessment at their Head Start sites across Durham and Orange Counties.

learn more about Families & Communities Rising Evaluation
learn more about Families & Communities Rising Evaluation

Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five – Needs Assessment

Together with the Hunt Institute, researchers from CCFP are implementing a collaborative partnership to support NC DHHS’ Division of Child Development and Early Education in completing updates to North Carolina’s Preschool Development (Birth Through Five) Needs Assessment, including information on the impact of COVID-19 on the child care and early education experiences of children and families.

learn more about Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five – Needs Assessment
learn more about Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five – Needs Assessment

Baby’s First Years Study

Baby’s First Years is a pathbreaking study of the causal impact of monthly, unconditional cash gifts to low-income mothers and their children in the first three years of the child’s life. The cash gifts are funded through charitable foundations. The study will identify whether reducing poverty can affect early childhood development and the family processes that support children’s development.

learn more about Baby’s First Years Study
learn more about Baby’s First Years Study
October 26, 2021
Policy Briefs

The Benefits of Early Childhood Education Can Persist in the Long Run

This brief examines how the benefits of high-quality ECE might simultaneously diminish and persist in the long run. Strategies are then discussed to sustain the impacts of ECE during elementary school.

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September 1, 2021
Journal Articles

Light-touch design enhancements can boost parent engagement in math activities

Early proficiency in math skills is increasingly being seen as an independent area worthy of early curriculum development and policy investment to reduce socioeconomic disparities in children’s school readiness.

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February 1, 2021
Policy Briefs

Promoting and Protecting Early Relational Health For Infants & Toddlers in Child Care

The science that informs best practice in early intervention, early childhood education, and early childhood mental health is clear: the most important resource infants and toddlers have is the relationships they develop with adult caregivers. For young children in child care programs, relationships with their teachers are a resource they depend on.

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August 1, 2020
Reports

Learning from Pre-K Teachers

During the spring of 2020, a statewide survey was undertaken to understand how early childhood educators sought to navigate the transition to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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