State Driven Research to Answer Key Policy Questions August 9, 2017

Session Overview Introducing two newly-funded ACF projects CCDBG Implementation Research and Evaluation Planning Grants Center for Supporting Research on CCDBG Implementation Roundtable with CCDBG Research and Evaluation Planning Grantees Discussion with audience

Panelists Meryl Barofsky, OPRE Lesli Blazer, Oklahoma Randy Hudgins, Georgia Patti Oya, Nevada Dawn Woods, Oregon Monica Rohacek, Urban Institute

CCDBG Implementation Research and Evaluation Grants & Brief Introduction to CCDBG Implementation Research and Evaluation Grants & Center for Supporting Research on CCDBG Implementation

CCDBG Implementation Research and Evaluation Grant Program Timing of CCDBG Act of 2014 offers unique opportunity for lead agencies to evaluate key policies Provide lead agencies opportunity to plan for and implement a rigorous, policy relevant evaluation of the implementation of policies in response to CCDBG Act of 2014 Two phases Planning Implementation

Phase I: Planning Develop a research plan Work with cohort of grantees and Center Increase capacity of lead agencies to conduct and use research Solidify or build research partnerships

Phase II: Implementation Forecasted funding opportunity end of summer Competitive application Only open to current grantees Fund implementation of research plan developed under Phase I

Phase I Grantees Cohort 1 Cohort 2 Georgia Cook Inlet Tribal Council Illinois Massachusetts Nevada Northern Mariana Islands Oklahoma Oregon Washington Cohort 2 Cook Inlet Tribal Council Pennsylvania Wisconsin

Center for Supporting Research on CCDBG Implementation Housed at the Urban Institute, through a contract with OPRE Launched in Fall 2016 Initial funding through Spring 2019 Possibility of extension through Spring 2021

Center for Supporting Research on CCDBG Implementation Goals Support CCDF Lead Agencies in building research capacity Facilitate learning from state and territory research Activities Assess needs and existing resources Evaluate two-phase grant structure Disseminate research findings Capacity-building support

Center for Supporting Research on CCDBG Implementation Supports for Grantees Monthly web conferences Annual in-person meeting Ad hoc peer learning groups Private resource site Supports for All Lead Agencies & Broader Research Field Written products Conference sessions Webinars Publicly accessible resource site

CCDBG Research and Evaluation Planning Grantees Planning Grant Goals

Nevada Departments of Education and Health and Human Services Develop a rigorous research-based evaluation of new training policies for FFN providers Hypothesis  By increasing health and safety and early education and child care training for FFN providers through this new policy, it is expected that the quality of care received by children through FFN providers will increase

Nevada Departments of Education and Health and Human Services Determine how to measure the effects of the new FFN training policy on child outcomes Develop processes for Data collection Analysis Data sharing

Oklahoma Department of Human Services Establish a researcher-practitioner partnership with researchers at Georgetown University Examine how parents use information about subsidized programs to select care Explore possibilities for supporting providers as they self-assess program quality to promote continued quality improvement Refine a data system to connect subsidy and licensing data, and explore opportunities for linking with other ECE programs serving low-income children

Oklahoma Department of Human Services Key aspects to be examined Understanding multiple features of access (Objs. 2 & 4) Supporting quality improvement through self-assessments (Obj. 3) Regulatory requirements (CCDF Plan) to be examined Consumer education (Obj. 2) Continuous quality improvement (Obj. 3)

Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Develop a coherent research agenda for Georgia’s CCDF plan Use administrative data to conduct preliminary research and data analyses on select CCDF goals Implement specific process evaluations of key CCDF initiatives Plan for a large-scale, rigorous CCDF evaluation to measure impact of CCDF policies and programs on access to high quality

Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Five topics under consideration Access to care: Family Child Care Learning Homes Supply and quality of teachers working with special populations Providers who serve many children who receive subsidized care Family support Support for families experiencing homelessness

Oregon Early Learning Division Build state data and research capacity Identify who the CCDF program affects Children and families from traditionally underserved populations Providers, specifically the factors that predict how home-based providers respond to the changes

Oregon Early Learning Division Understand home-based provider participation in professional development and support activities (PD/Support) to increase retention What brings providers to a particular PD/Support? What engages them once they are there? Which of these activities maximizes the quality of the care they provide?

CCDBG Research and Evaluation Planning Grantees Roundtable Discussion

Audience Discussion What questions do you have for the panelists? What research projects related to CCDF are you working on in your state/territory? What research questions do you have that would help you make policy decisions right now? If you are not engaged in research, do you want to be? What would help you get your foot in the door? What barriers do you see to the research process? Are we asking the right questions and collecting the right data in order to answer the policy questions you care about most? (answer in the app)

For additional information: Meryl Barofsky Federal Project Officer, OPRE Meryl.Barofsky@acf.hhs.gov Monica Rohacek Co-Director, Center for Supporting Research on CCDBG Implementation Urban Institute mrohacek@urban.org Thank you!