Center for Early Learning Funding Equity

Data plays a crucial role in addressing important questions related to early childhood services, such as identifying service needs, assessing program availability and quality, and evaluating whether children’s needs are being met. However, our current early childhood system suffers from fragmentation, leading to ineffective integration of data systems. These disjointed data systems fail to provide the necessary information for establishing equitable decision-making and funding practices. Ultimately, state policymakers cannot allocate resources in a way that generates greater equity because they cannot see the full picture.

CELFE is taking strides toward improving early childhood data integration through its stewardship of the Chicago Early Childhood Integrated Data System (CECIDs).