Child Care Systems
We study how public investments, policies, and program design shape families’ access to affordable, stable, and high-quality early care and education. Our research examines how policies and programs are implemented and how they affect children, families, educators, providers, and communities.
- What Will It Take to Fulfill the Promise of 2-K? An Early Childhood Research and Policy Forum
Convened city, state, and national experts in policy, research, and child care to discuss how to grow and support the expansion of 2-K, free child care provided to 2-year-olds in New York City. This forum produced a series of briefs summarizing outcomes of that convening:
Executive Summary: What Will It Take to Fulfill the Promise of 2-K? (pdf)
Brief 1: Relationships Are the Beating Heart of a Flourishing 2-K Program (pdf)
Brief 2: A Strong 2-K System Requires a Strong Workforce (pdf)
- NYC 2-K Pilot Implementation Study (In Progress)
Evaluating New York City’s expansion of publicly funded child care for two-year-olds, including agency implementation, provider experiences, multilingual family perspectives, and continuous improvement. - Developing a Participatory Theory of Change for Universal Child Care in Dutchess County (In Progress)
Partnering with the Dutchess County Early Learning Coalition to develop a theory of change and data roadmap for a regional universal child care system. - Understanding Changes to Child Care Policies in Vermont
Examining how Vermont’s child care subsidy reforms affect family access, provider stability, and policy implementation. - Improving Participation of Children in Foster Care in Stable, High-Quality Early Care and Education
Identifying barriers and testing strategies to expand access to stable, high-quality early care and education for children in foster care in Arkansas.
Early Educator Wellbeing & Workforce Development
We examine how early educator preparation, compensation, professional learning, workplace supports, and career pathways can strengthen and sustain the early childhood workforce.
We believe early childhood education should be a profession in which educators’ wellbeing and health are supported and compensation reflects the expertise, experience, and importance of their work. Our research centers the voices and experiences of early educators and the partners working to strengthen the field.
- Understanding the Conditions of the ECE Workforce (In Progress)
Using the 2024 National Survey of Early Care and Education workforce survey, we describe the current conditions, strengths, and needs of the early childhood education workforce.
Policy Snapshot: Health Insurance Trends Among Child Care Educators
- Strengthening Skills of Early Childhood Teachers Through Peer Coaching and Reflection (In Progress)
Evaluating a professional development model that uses peer coaching and reflective practice to strengthen instruction, language development, and teacher-child relationships. - A Design-Based Participatory Study of Early Childhood Social Work Communities of Practice (In Progress)
Studying the roles, professional learning experiences, and changes to practice of early childhood social workers in New York City Public Schools. - Developing Systems to Support Spanish-Speaking Early Childhood Educators (In Progress)
Created a Spanish-language, credit-bearing Child Development Associate microcredential and college-to-career pathway with SUNY Farmingdale State College. - Listening to Teachers: Towards a More Equitable ECE System in NYC
Documented the experiences and wellbeing of New York City’s early childhood workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Policy & Systems Change
We study how early childhood policies operate in practice and work with public agencies to build coordinated, equitable systems that can learn, adapt, and improve over time.
Through the National Center for Children in Poverty, housed within the Straus Institute, we also examine family economic security supports, including access to public benefits, trends in enrollment, and effective program implementation.
- Strengthening State Systems of Quality Support for Early Care and Education Programs
Partnering with state leaders to examine professional development, infant and early childhood mental health consultation, social-emotional supports, and coordinated quality-improvement systems. - TANF Cash Assistance State Profiles: Expanded and Updated for 2025-26
NCCP’s state TANF policy profiles enable policymakers, advocates, and others to consider state-determined policies that support parents and guardians in meeting families’ basic needs and helping to mitigate family stress in times of economic challenge.
Equity & Family Partnerships
We center the knowledge, experiences, and expertise of families, educators, and communities—especially those historically excluded from research and decision-making.
Through participatory and community-engaged approaches, we work with partners to develop research that reflects local priorities and supports more culturally, historically, and linguistically responsive early childhood systems.
- Strengthening Families’ Access to NYC Early Care & Education Programs (In Progress)
Evaluating community-based outreach and enrollment strategies designed to help New York City families find early care and education programs that meet their needs. - Supporting Latina Family Child Care Provider Voices Through Inquiry (In Progress)
Explored how Latina home-based child care professionals navigate culturally and linguistically responsive pathways from the Child Development Associate credential into degree programs. - Where Does Science Live in Your Community? A Photovoice Project
Partnered with residents of Corona, Queens, to use photography and storytelling to inform more culturally responsive museum and science education.