The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University Peabody College of education and human development has launched the Early Childhood Governance Landscape, a new tool that illustrates how states structure early childhood governance—and what those choices mean for coordination, funding, and access to services for young children and their families.
Early childhood governance plays a critical role in shaping how policies are implemented, how funding is distributed, and how families engage with essential supports. Yet states take different approaches to structuring governance, influencing collaboration across education, health, and economic and family supports.
The Early Childhood Governance Landscape provides a clearer picture of these structures across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The resource includes:
- State-specific governance charts illustrating which agencies oversee key early childhood programs
- A state-by-state comparison tool highlighting structural variations across programs and services
- Case studies, starting with New Mexico, highlighting key lessons from states that have undertaken governance changes
The Governance Landscape complements the center’s 2024 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap by providing critical context on how state systems are organized to implement early childhood policies. While the resource is not intended to prescribe ideal governance structures, it brings visibility to how programs and services are administered across states and encourages reflection on whether current models align with a state’s goals for young children and families. As states continue to assess and evolve their systems, the Governance Landscape supports thoughtful, data-informed conversations about alignment, accountability, and long-term impact.
The full Early Childhood Governance Landscape is available here.
