SRI Education brief describing the benefits of quality early childhood education (ECE) and ECE stability for children in foster care, and sharing results from a survey of foster parents in Arkansas. The survey indicated that children in foster care are less likely to participate in higher quality ECE, foster parents struggle to find ECE that meets their child’s needs, and children in foster care are more likely to experience instability in ECE programs.

SRI Education brief explaining the importance of early childhood education for youth in foster care, and reporting barriers that foster parents in Arkansas identified in a survey that they face in accessing affordable, high-quality ECE.

A Legal Center for Foster Care and Education brief highlighting key federal laws supporting students in foster care from early childhood to postsecondary, including data systems and information sharing.

A Legal Center for Foster Care & Education issue brief explaining early intervention services available for infants and toddlers with disabilities in the child welfare system, and listing tips for child welfare advocates for young children to help them access those services. 

A guide for attorneys to understand the early childhood education supports that are available for young children involved in the child welfare system.

This program connects CPS-involved families in Washington to early learning programs and integrates early learning referrals into child safety workflows and systems. The program has two dedicated service navigator positions who proactively reach out to eligible families, identify early learning needs, and match them to early learning programs. The program has led to more CPS-involved families being connected to early learning opportunities.

The BUILD Initiative has a resource collection featuring written resources and webinars related to cross-system collaboration between child welfare and early childhood to improve outcomes for young children and their families.