Study Findings To Help The Division Improve Community Engagement
Listening to and Learning from the Community: North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education Stakeholder Engagement Study
A new report captures how communities experience the state’s efforts to engage families and early childhood partners in its work and decision-making. Listening to and Learning from the Community: North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education Stakeholder Engagement Study, by School Readiness Consulting in partnership with the NC Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child Development and Early Education, shares local experiences and recommendations for the Division to improve future engagement efforts.
Researchers used qualitative approaches to data gathering:
- Tools such as interviews, focus groups, and open-ended survey responses to hear the experiences of community members
- Questions focused on the “how” and “why,” to allow for a deeper understanding of experiences and contexts
- Centering people’s knowledge and lived experiences
Among the key findings:
- Early childhood community members want to share stories about lived experiences and how policies impact practice and people on the ground.
- The Division provides different opportunities to share feedback, but early childhood community members are not always aware of them and don’t always participate.
- Early childhood community members not only want to be heard but also want to see their feedback reflected in the Division’s actions.
The qualitative study marks the first phase of a larger effort. To best serve families and communities, the DCDEE will use lessons learned from the study to inform and develop a framework that will guide more collaborative approaches to decisions about services for young children. This framework will be an important step to ensuring the voices and lived experience of the early childhood community are a driving force behind important changes to early childhood care and education in the state—now and in the future.