Poster #23 - An Examination of Stakeholder Experiences During the Implementation of an Equitable Early Childhood Initiative

• In Event: Poster Session 08

Abstract

The first eight years of a child’s life are profoundly important. Research has consistently shown that positive experiences during these foundational years are linked to greater achievement in school, better health outcomes, and increased earnings as adults (Friedman-Krauss et al., 2019; Schweinhart et al., 2005; Yoshikawa et al., 2013). Such positive impacts yield tremendous benefits for families and communities. An early childhood initiative in a midwestern city seeks to ensure that every child in their community has these important positive experiences and is on track to succeed. Since 2016, this initiative has sought to ensure that children have equitable access to quality and affordable early childhood programs and services. Additionally, this initiative has worked to support the families of children, as well as the educators and other service providers who work on behalf of children and families.

A mixed-methods implementation study was conducted to examine how different stakeholders perceived and participated in the early stages of the initiative. This study helped to document the inner workings of implementation by assessing fidelity to the plans outlined in the overall framework, identifying the key elements of the work, and examining successes and challenges.

The study team collected data from 49 initiative stakeholders through interviews, focus groups, and listening sessions. Six of those stakeholders participated in two in-depth interviews to understand how the initiative shaped them and their communities. The qualitative data were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005). Member checks were conducted to increase study validity. Demographic data from these engagements were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Additionally, the study team reviewed implementation documents and analyzed key performance indicator trends on data dashboards. Finally, the team conducted data triangulation across stakeholder engagement, documents, and data dashboards.

The study uncovered four vital elements of the initiative: 1) developing a common vision for the early childhood landscape, 2) being community-centered, 3) having a strong backbone infrastructure, and 4) following a distributed leadership approach. The findings also suggest that the initiative contributed to the development of policies and systems that increased city-wide early childhood funding and improved access to high-quality early childhood services. The study showed that the initiative could be strengthened in five key ways: 1) broadening partnerships, 2) increasing stakeholder outreach and engagement, 3) improving internal and external communication about the overall initiative and its specific endeavors, 4) refining its measurement system, and 5) expanding funds and funding mechanisms.

This study has important policy and practical implications that could enhance early childhood systems. It offers a window into the day-to-day aspects of a city-wide effort to improve early childhood systems. It also offers learnings around fidelity assessment and effectiveness factors. These findings can support local or state system leaders who are designing or implementing system coordination strategies and community-driven solutions to address the needs of children and families.

Authors

• Angélica Montoya Ávila, School Readiness Consulting
  Presenting Author

• BreAnna Davis Tribble, School Readiness Consulting

• Sherylls Kahn, School Readiness Consulting