Research Resources for CCDF Program Leaders
Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program leaders need to consider different sources of information and data when making policy decisions. It can feel overwhelming to search for research and evidence when making or informing decisions that could affect members of the child care and early education workforce, families, and children.
Child Care & Early Education Research Connections (Research Connections), funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, can be your first stop in helping you find relevant research. Research Connections is an online library with more than 40,000 policy-relevant resources for child care and early education professionals. It contains peer-reviewed research and resources published by government agencies and research organizations.
As you start to think about preparing for the next CCDF plan or implementing a new rule or policy, look to Research Connections as your first stop for research-based information across such topics as child care access, subsidy, quality rating and improvement systems, and the child care workforce—including information on the health and well-being of the workforce and resources on wages, benefits, and job satisfaction.
Research Connections can also connect you to resources with data from all states to explore the research happening in other states.
Explore the Research Library to find state and local reports, research-informed factsheets and briefs on topics relevant to CCDF program leaders, bibliographies, peer-reviewed journal articles, survey instruments, and more resources. Many of these resources are free, and if you need help accessing resources that are only available via a paywall, we have a resource on how to help you access the resource for free.
Discover additional resources that Research Connections has to offer, including the following:
- Monthly newsletter: Our monthly News and Resources newsletter keeps you up to date on the latest additions to the Research Connections library. Each newsletter highlights a handful of recent research articles and a curated selection of resources on a critical topic to the early care and education field.
- Resource guide: Answering Policy Questions With Research Connections explores the resources that the library has to offer and explains how you can use those resources to find answers to your policy questions. The guide also connects you with some topical searches related to key themes of the CCDF plan requirements.
- Research Highlights: The resources in this collection translate research findings into short, easy-to-use formats. These resources are designed to help child care and early education leaders make research-informed decisions that support young children, families, and members of the workforce.
Do you have questions? If so, then you can connect with us at [email protected], and we can help direct you to the resources that you need.
Office of Child Care
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Mary E. Switzer Building, Fourth Floor, MS 4425
330 C Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
General office number: (202) 690-6782
Fax: (202) 690-5600
General email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ