Early Childhood | MDRC

We examine strategies that strengthen the effectiveness and accessibility of child care, early education, and home visiting services to produce long-lasting positive outcomes for children in families with low incomes. We also study ways to support a qualified early childhood workforce.

small kids are playing with toys on a floor

Report

Implementation of the Ready for School, Ready for Life Initiative in 2023

Program Partners’ Views About Benefits, Challenges, and Opportunities

a kid is packing a bag for school after breakfast with her family

Report

The Guilford ROCS (Readiness of Children for School) Study: Overview

a male teacher is sitting on a floor in circle with kids

Brief

Managing Stress and Nurturing Resilience

Exploring the Potential of Stress Management Workshops to Help Early Childhood Educators

a teacher showing a book to little kids

Report

At the Starting Line

A Guide to Laying the Foundation for an Early Childhood Classroom Coaching Initiative

Video title screen: Collaborating with Programs: A Key Focus of Early Childhood Education Research at MDRC

Video

Collaborating with Programs: A Key Focus of Early Childhood Education Research at MDRC

Male pre-K teacher teaching numbers to diverse group of kids

Issue Focus

A Powerful Window

Early Childhood and the Building Blocks for Combating Poverty

illustration of the volcan/science eperiment

Brief

Advancing Equity in Pre-K Assessments

Elevating the Strengths of Children from Racially and Linguistically Marginalized Backgrounds

a teacher among elementary school kids

Brief

Enrollment and Completion of Early Childhood Education Postsecondary Programs in Colorado

a teacher with elementary school kids

Brief

Using Unemployment Insurance Wage Data to Better Understand the Experiences of the Child Care and Early Education Workforce Over Time

Methods Brief

a terach with elementary school kids

Brief

What Were the Wages and Employment Trajectories of Child Care Workers in Illinois over the Last Two Decades?

elementary school kids around the teacher

Brief

Retention and Credential Attainment

A Profile of Montana’s Child Care and Early Education Workforce

Happy African American teacher and small boy giving high-five during art class at kindergarten

Report

What Do We Know About Building and Sustaining the Child Care and Early Education Workforce?

Cross-Cutting Themes from a Literature Review, Environmental Scan, and Data Scan

boy showing something in a book holding by teacher with other kids nearby

Report

Understanding the Child Care and Early Education Workforce

The Need for More and Better Data

a man in a floor surraunded by kids

Report

Influences on the Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement of the Child Care and Early Education Workforce

A Conceptual Framework

a treacher sittting among kids standing around her

Report

Child Care and Early Education Workforce Recruitment and Retention

Insights from a Current Landscape of Strategies