California PDG Needs Assessment Report

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) worked with the California Department of Education and its partners to plan and conduct the early learning and care (ELC) needs assessment in the state, building on its prior work in California in analyzing the supply of and need for ELC services.

This report is an assessment of the current state of the ELC system in California and provides a baseline to help inform the state’s Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B–5). The following questions are addressed in this report, following the federal guidance:

California Preschool Development Grant Needs Assessment Report (PDF; 2MB)

1. Key Terms

How does the state define: (1) quality early childhood care and education, (2) availability, (3) vulnerable or underserved, and (4) children in rural areas?

2. Focal Populations of the Grant

What are the characteristics of the children who are vulnerable or underserved and children who live in rural areas?

3. Availability and Quality

What is the availability and quality of existing programs in the state, including programs serving the most vulnerable or underserved populations and children in rural areas?

4. Number of Children Served and Awaiting Service

To the extent practicable, what is: (1) the unduplicated number of children being served in existing programs and (2) the unduplicated number of children awaiting service in such programs?

5. Data Gaps: Quality and Availability

What are the gaps in data or research regarding the quality and availability of programming and supports for children birth to five years old, considering the needs of working families, as well as, families with members seeking employment or in job training?

6. Data Gaps: Supporting Collaboration

What are the gaps in data or research that are most important for the state to fill in order to meet the goals of supporting collaboration between programs and services and maximizing parental choice?

7. Measurable Indicators of Progress

What are the state’s current measurable indicators of progress that align with the state’s vision and desired outcomes?

8. Facilities

What are the key concerns or issues related to ELC facilities?

9. Funding

What are the barriers to the funding and provision of high-quality early childhood care and education services and supports and the barriers to identifying opportunities for more efficient use of resources?

10. Transitions

What transition supports and gaps affect how children move between early childhood care and education programs and school entry?

As a part of the needs assessment, in addition to the report, the AIR has developed a new website that presents data on California’s child population, ELC needs, and enrollment in ELC programs. This free, publicly available resource, the California Early Learning Needs Assessment Reports (CELNAR) can be found on the CELNAR website .

The CELNAR provides users with access to reports for the state, individual counties, and groups of counties on the supply and demand for ELC programs for birth to five years old.