The Early Childhood
D A T A
Collaborative
Engaging Stakeholders Home
One Step at a Time: Thein Benefits Visiting Data Integration Efforts
of an Incremental Approach to the Maggie Kane and Van-Kim Lin Integration of Home Visiting and Introduction Other Early Childhood Data Home visiting is an important component of the early childhood (EC) landscape,1 but home visiting data are often not part of Kate Steber and Dale Epstein the larger early childhood data integration efforts that states undertake. Building support for home visiting data integration and coordinating efforts across sectors, systems, and programs require Introduction the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders.
The State-level Home Visiting Integration with Early Childhood Data Systems (SHINE) project aims to support states in integrating theirState-level home visiting data The Home with other early childhood Visiting Integration data.Early SHINE is a project of with Childhood the Early Childhood Data Data Systems Collaborative (ECDC), (SHINE) project aims which focuses on states the development to support in integrating and use of coordinated their home visiting datastate earlyother care and education data with early childhood systems. This resource was data. SHINE is a project of funded byChildhood the Heising-Simons the Early Data Foundation. Collaborative (ECDC), which
Home visiting presents is an important component of the early childhood This resource an approach for engaging a diverse group (EC) landscape.1 However, states to prioritize home of stakeholders—from families to often homefail visiting model developers visiting data when their early childhood integrated to researchers and developing legislators—when creating a process to integrate home visiting2 Home data with other early childhood data systems (ECIDS). visiting represents a rangedata. of It describes steps for: services, models, and programs, each with different data requirements, so integrating the data can be challenging. Often, 1. Identifying relevant stakeholders. home visiting data is disconnected across different models, as well as from other EC data.ofTo address this data 2. Determining the types information tochallenge share withtoand solicit integration, states can take an incremental approach, integrating from stakeholders. one aspect of home visiting data at a time, rather than tackling 3. when to engage to stakeholders in the process. it allChoosing at once. The advantages taking an incremental approach when integrating home visiting data with other EC data include This resource will be particularly valuable to those who lead the following: focuses on the development efforts to connect home visiting data with other early childhood and use of coordinated state data. These data integration leaders may be state-level data • The process of integrating home visiting into anofECIDS managers or individuals who have taken the data ownership linking data across early childhood early care and education data can be managed more easily when it focuses on one piece at a programs. systems. This resource was time, such as a specific model or geographic area. funded by the Heising-Simons Stakeholder engagement is essential to successfully build integrated data systems. Leaders should Foundation. • States can treat the incremental integration as a pilottheir phase, engage stakeholders early in the process and maintain engagement throughout in order to: learn from any challenges or policy barriers that arise, and apply • Foster a sense of inclusion byup keeping stakeholders informed as data. the system changes. that knowledge when scaling to integrate other home visiting
Build support and knowledge by broadening the range of individuals and organizations familiar Incremental integration allows states to achieve small wins and demonstrate success on data with the system. integration. By showing why integrating home visiting data with other EC data is important and • Inform stakeholders goals the work,states whichcan canbuild facilitate communication and help to worth the investmentofofthe time andof resources, buy-in from stakeholders. ensure the data collected meet the needs of the system. The purpose of this resource is to provide states with examples of various ways to integrate their • Give stakeholders the opportunity to inform the goals and direction of the system. home visiting data into their ECIDS over time. This resource will highlight five examples of how states • for athis diversity of perspectives soof that the visiting system meets canAllow approach incremental integration home data. the needs of multiple users. • •
Early childhood is the time of child development from prenatal through age 8, with most programs targeting children from birth to age 5. The early childhood system is a set of policies, approaches, and services that are delivered through existing systems, such as education (e.g., pre-K), health care (e.g., immunization), or social services (e.g., subsidies to offset the cost of child care). 2 Epstein, D & King, C. (2018, December 5). Lessons from the early care and education field for home visiting data integration [Blog post]. 1Retrieved from https://www.childtrends.org/shining-a-light-lessons-from-the-early-care-and-education-field-for-home-visiting-data-integration. Early childhood is the time of child development from prenatal through age 8, with most programs targeting children from An ECIDS is a 5. data system combines, secures, reports information from a variety early learning services and programs, birth to age The earlythat childhood system is and a set of policies, approaches, and of services that are delivered through including existing data related to children families served by the program, members the workforce, and the characteristics of the program to or offset services. Forcost more systems, such as and education (e.g., pre-K), health care (e.g.,of immunization), or social services (e.g., subsidies the of information on ECIDS, please go to the Early Childhood Data Collaborative website: https://www.ecedata.org/. 1
child care).
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