Announcements
Child Care Administrative Data Analysis Grants
22 May 2013The full announcement for "Child Care Administrative Data Analysis" is available online at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2013-ACF-OPRE-YE-0604. OPRE intends to award up to 10 cooperative agreements to support rigorous, policy-relevant research that primarily involves the analysis of child care administrative data. Research projects must be led by State/Territory/Tribal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies, which may partner with other local or state agencies that administer CCDF programs on their behalf, as well as with institutions of higher education or research organizations, especially if the eligible agency does not have the in-house capacity to conduct research. Applicants may apply for project periods up to 36 months with three 12-month budget periods. Up to $100,000 may be awarded for each budget period. Letters of intent are due June 10, 2013, and applications are due June 24, 2013.
Research Connections Grant
22 May 2013The full announcement for "Research Connections" is available online at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2013-ACF-OPRE-YE-0601. OPRE intends to award a cooperative agreement to operate the Child Care and Early Education Research Connections ("Research Connections") website (http://www.researchconnections.org). Research Connections houses an increasingly comprehensive collection of research reports, syntheses, and other critical information related to child care, Head Start, and early education, with a particular focus on children in low-income families. Further, Research Connections provides researchers and policymakers access to and technical assistance with comprehensive collections of data from major child care, Head Start, and early education research and evaluation studies; fosters collaboration and outreach that can strengthen dissemination and research use by research and policymaker communities; and supports the Child Care Policy Research Consortium. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, and for-profit organizations. Applicants may apply for project periods up to 60 months with five 12-month budget periods. Up to $1,500,000 may be awarded for each budget period. Letters of intent are due June 9, 2013, and applications are due June 24, 2013.
The 2011 Child Care Licensing Study Datasets
15 May 2013
Research Connections released the 2011 Child Care Licensing Study datasets. This study reports on two aspects of child care licensing from 2011 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia: state child care licensing programs and policies, and child care center licensing regulations. It focuses on the processes and policies in each state related to staffing for the licensing program, monitoring facilities, and enforcement of licensing regulations. Data can be analyzed online or downloaded directly to your computer.
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Early Care and Education Research Scholars Grants
15 May 2013Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants
The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) plans to provide funds for Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants to support dissertation research by advanced graduate students who are working in partnership with Head Start programs and with faculty mentors. Competitive applicants will 1) demonstrate a collaborative partnership with their program partners, and 2) pursue research questions that directly inform local, State, or Federal policy relevant to multiple early care and education contexts. Applicants should consider pursuing data collection across contexts, including child care, pre-k, home-visiting programs, Head Start, Early Head Start, and/or others. Applicants are expected to demonstrate an established partnership with their early care and education program partners that should be apparent throughout the research plan, from development and refinement of the research questions through the proposed data collection, interpretation, and dissemination.
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Child Care Research Scholars
The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Policy, Research and Evaluation plans to solicit applications for Child Care Research Scholars grants to support dissertation research on child care policy issues. These grants are meant to build capacity in the research field to focus research on questions that have direct implications for child care policy decision-making and program administration, and to foster mentoring relationships between faculty members and high-quality doctoral students. Child Care Research Scholars projects address issues of significance related to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF); inform policy decisions and solutions, particularly for underserved / understudied populations; and utilize the most rigorous research methodology for the selected research question. Applicants must consult with a CCDF administrator in the development of the proposal.
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Apply for Position: Coordinator, Early Childhood, Save the Children
15 May 2013Save the Children is now accepting applications for an Early Childhood Coordinator position. The position will be based out of the headquarter office in Big Bear, CA. The successful applicant will help coordinate the Early Steps to School Success program, which provides early childhood education services to children birth to five. Responsibilities include recruiting families to the program, developing and scheduling program activities, performing home visiting services, participating in technical assistance activities, and other related tasks. Applicants should have a degree in early childhood education or a related field, as well as home visiting experience.
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Apply for Position: Program Director, The Baby College, Harlem Children's Zone
15 May 2013The New York City-based Harlem Children's Zone welcomes applications for the Program Director position of The Baby College. The Baby College works to support the health and development of young children, beginning with expecting parents and continuing to three years. The successful applicant will manage the day to day operations of the program, including overseeing operations, collecting and analyzing data from the program, managing the staff of The Baby College, and developing strong relationships with local child care and Head Start programs. Applicants should have a Bachelor's degree and at least five years of management experience. A Master's Degree is preferred.
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Application Deadline Extended - Free Summer Data Workshop: Coordinated Data Analysis: Maximizing Early Care and Education Data
17 Apr 2013Announcing Research Connections' upcoming summer data workshop (July 29-31, 2013), part of the ICPSR Summer Program series:
Conducting coordinated analyses across data sets is a powerful way to harness the strengths of several studies while controlling sample characteristics. This data training workshop will introduce researchers to different methods for working with multiple datasets in order to answer research questions about children?s development, programs designed to support their development, and the relationships been program participation and supports and development. In addition, time will be spent understanding two prominent nationally representative studies of the nation?s largest early care and education program ? Head Start ? and how to use data from these studies in your research:
- Head Start Impact Study (HSIS), 2002-2006, including a sneak preview and discussion of the Third-Grade Follow-up
- Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), all cohorts including the newly-available 2009 data
Participants are expected to have a basic understanding of secondary data, fundamental data analysis skills, knowledge of SPSS, SAS, or Stata, and a substantive interest in early care and education.
The workshop is free, but enrollment is limited. Researchers interested in using these datasets to answer policy relevant questions in child development and early care and education are encouraged to apply, especially if relevant to either the Head Start or Child Care and Development Fund programs. All applications must include a vita and cover letter summarizing research interests and experiences. Admitted graduate students, post-doctoral scholars and junior faculty/researchers will be considered for one of a limited number of stipends to help with travel and housing costs. To be considered for one of these awards, applicants must also submit a letter of support from a senior faculty member, mentor, or advisor.
Application deadline: June 7, 2013
For more information or to apply visit: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/sumprog/courses/0167
New Dataset: Impact of Childhood Behavior Problems on Child Care and Employment Decision-Making: A Nationally Representative Panel Study
16 Apr 2013This study contributes much needed information about the link between childhood developmental and behavioral problems, child care needs, and employment decisions. The goal of this study was to examine associations between childhood behavior problems and the stability of child care and employment among working families. This study sought to address two main questions regarding child care. First, what are the child care needs and utilization patterns of low-income working families? And second, what factors influence choice of care among low-income working families? Depending on the prevalence and influence of behavior problems on employment decisions of low-income families, the results of this study help identify the need for additional policies at the national, state or local level specifically targeting families and/or caregivers of children with developmental or behavior problems. The study included parents of children aged 0 to 13 years and employed household level sampling from a nationally representative random-digit dial Gallup panel. Three data files and associated documentation are available for download on the Research Connections website.
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New Dataset: Massachusetts Early Care and Education and School Readiness Study
16 Apr 2013Young children are spending increasingly greater hours in early care and education. While research has clearly documented the importance of the quality of these experiences (National Research Council, 2000), more research is needed in several key areas. This study is an assessment of the impact of varying hours of early care and education on children's school readiness, and the specific factors in both infant and preschool classrooms that promote school readiness, using two samples: one group of 242 children attending child care centers that have been followed since infancy (Family Income, Infant Child Care, and Child Development Study); and another group of 130 children attending child care centers primarily serving low-income families. A developmental-ecological conceptual framework is being employed, which considers the influence of ecological contexts on children's developmental trajectories. The following school readiness outcomes are assessed: 1. language development and communication 2. cognition and general knowledge, including early math 3. social and emotional development 4. approaches to learning 5. health and physical development. The data file and associated documentation are available for download on the Research Connections website.
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Apply for Position: Research Analyst, Early Childhood Development, Child Trends
16 Apr 2013Child Trends is now accepting applications for an Early Childhood Development Research Analyst position. The successful applicant will participate in and contribute to various aspects of the research process, including conducting literature reviews, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting research findings through writings and presentations. Applicants must have three to five years of relevant experience, and a Master's Degree is preferred. Applicants should also be proficient with various statistical packages, such as SAS or Stata, and have experience working with large datasets.
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Apply for Position: Technical Assistance Specialist, Zero To Three
16 Apr 2013Zero To Three welcomes applications for a Technical Assistance Specialist position. This position will provide support the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in helping to implement home visiting programs. He or she will work with the various stakeholders to plan and support technical assistance activities in support of this project. Applicants should have eight years of experience in early childhood home visiting, knowledge of TA resources and home visiting programs, and a Master's Degree in early childhood or a related field.
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New Dataset:Children at Risk in the Child Welfare System: Collaborations to Promote School Readiness
21 Mar 2013This in-depth case study in Colorado examines the degree to which key players in the child welfare, early intervention/preschool special education (EI/Preschool SPED) and early care and education (ECE) systems (e.g. Head Start, preschool, child care centers, family child care homes) collaborate to meet the developmental needs of children ages 0-5 who are involved in the child welfare system. An ecological perspective serves as the conceptual framework to support the goals of the project and to guide the development of this study (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). This research includes a quantitative analysis of data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing (NSCAW, a nationally representative sample of children involved in the child welfare system). Additional quantitative research was conducted through two surveys (optional paper or on-line survey) in Colorado between 2005-2006: the Foster Parent Survey, a statewide survey of foster parents drawn from public and private agency lists of licensed families (n=266), and the Child Welfare Caseworker Survey, a statewide survey of child welfare caseworkers and caseworker supervisors drawn from public and private agency lists (n=339). This study is restricted from general dissemination. Users can request access to two datasets and associated documentation via restricted data use agreements.
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Apply for Position: Program Coordinator, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
21 Mar 2013The Washington-D.C. based National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) welcomes applications for a program coordinator position. The successful applicant will provide technical assistance related to the policies and procedures of the NAEYC accreditation process. He or she will also work with clients and consumers throughout all aspects of the accreditation process. Applicants should have one to two years of administrative experience as well as knowledge of NAEYC's early childhood program accreditation system.
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Apply for Position: Family Well-Being and Children's Development Research Analyst, MDRC
21 Mar 2013The New York City-based MDRC welcomes applications for a Research Analyst position in the area of family well-being and children's development. The successful candidate will work on projects and studies related to high-quality preschool and children's long term trajectories and outcomes. Specific duties include participation in site recruitment, field research, technical assistance activities, design and implementation of program evaluation, and other general project support. Applicants should hold a graduate level degree and possess basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
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