Library

Looking for new and notable information to help you dig deeper into an issue? Start with these featured reports and web sites, and then browse through our full selection by topic.

Reports: Featured

March of Dimes 2011 premature birth report card
March of Dimes, December 2011, 3 pp.
Presents data on premature birth rates in Minnesota. more info >

Minnesota school readiness study: Developmental assessment at kindergarten entrance
Minnesota Department of Education, November 2011, 23 pp.
An assessment of school readiness among children entering kindergarten in Minnesota in Fall 2010. more info >

Starting out right: Pre-k and kindergarten
The Center for Public Education, November 2011
To determine what combination of early childhood education programs has the greatest impact on student achievement, this report examined the combinations of pre-k and full- or half-day kindergarten. more info >

State child care assistance policies 2011: Reduced support for families in challenging times
National Women's Law Center, October 2011, 36 pp.
Trends in state child care assistance policies. more info >

Early education reform blueprint
Minnesota Early Learning Foundation, October 2011, 20 pp.
Outlines the importance of school readiness, describes reforms found to be effective, and makes policy recommendations for improvement. The blueprint includes private and public sector to-do lists. more info >

Parents and the high cost of child care: 2011 report
National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, August 2011, 62 pp.
Minnesota ranks among the 10 least affordable states for child care according to this report that presents 2010 data about what parents pay for full-time child care in the United States. more info >

Zero to three research to policy project: Maternal depression and early childhood
Children's Defense Fund Minnesota, April 2011, 57 pp.
Every untreated case of maternal depression in Minnesota is estimated to cost society at a minimum $23,000 per year in terms of lost productivity for both mother and child. This report examines the research findings in maternal depression and early childhood, the implications for Minnesota policy, and option to decrease the prevalence and impact of maternal depression in the state. more info >

Immigrant children: The Future of Children Spring 2011
The Brookings Institution and Princeton University, March 2011, 270 pp.
Includes a variety of articles that look at the well-being of immigrant children and what can be done to improve their educational attainment, health, social and cognitive development, and long-term prospects for economic mobility. more info >

Child care use in Minnesota: Report of the 2009 statewide household child care survey
Wilder Research, November 2010, 88 pp.
Reports the results of a 2009 survey of Minnesota families to learn about child care use, costs, satisfaction, choice, and challenges. more info >

Early learning left out: Building an early learning childhood system to secure America's future: 3rd edition
Voices for America's Children, November 2010, 79 pp.
Examines public investment in the education and development of children by child age. It focuses on the gap between what is currently invested and the need, focusing on early childhood. Data are provided by state. more info >

Ready, set, go! Why business should support early childhood education
Institute for a Competitive Workforce, September 2010, 43 pp.
This report focuses on early learning as an investment in workforce development by supporting policies that proffer high-quality, evidence-based learning programs. It provides promising practices of successful early childhood education initiatives throughout the country alongside a step-by-step guide businesses may use to support and invest in early childhood education in their communities. more info >

Young children of immigrants: The leading edge of America's future
The Urban Institute, August 2010, 14 pp.
Highlights information about children 0-8 growing up in immigrant families in the United States, including immigration trends, impact on schools, and parental and family characteristics. more info >

America's children in brief: Key national indicators of well-being, 2010
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, July 2010, 22 pp.
Reports data on a set of indicators of child well-being. Indicators included are in the categories of family and social environment, economic categories, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health. more info >

Road map for school readiness in the Hmong community: A five-year plan
Ready4K, June 2010, 12 pp.
Many Hmong families in Minnesota face significant socioeconomic and educational challenges. This report identifies three key priorities and possible solutions to ensure that children from the Hmong community start kindergarten ready for success. more info >

Disparities in early learning and development: Lessons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)
Child Trends, June 2009, 39 pp.
This study finds disparities between poor, at-risk children and more advantaged children as early as 9 months of age. It identifies low income and low maternal education as the factors most strongly associated with poorer cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcomes among very young children and also finds that the more risk factors a child has, the more profound the disparities. more info >

Web sites

Child care & early education research connections
Promotes high-quality research in child care and early education and the use of that research in policy making. Includes reports, data, a database of instruments, information on policies, and links to other resources. more info >

Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health
Presents state and national data on children's health. Indicators include: overall health status, asthma, socio-emotional difficulties, preventive health and dental care, early childhood experience, repetition of grade, reading, and attending religious services. more info >