NRCEC 2024 Session Videos Offer the Latest on Early Childhood Research
The 2024 National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC) brought together leading researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore critical topics shaping the future of early childhood development. This year’s conference featured a diverse range of presentations covering everything from innovative intervention programs to the impact of federal policies on child well-being.
Couch Family Foundation executive director Sara Vecchiotti served as moderator of session 217, “State of the Field Synthesis – Closing the Opportunity Gap for Young Children: Where Are We and Where Do We Go From Here?” The session focused on a National Academies report identifying and describing the causes, costs, and effects of the opportunity gap in young children, and explored how disparities in access to quality educational experiences, health care, and positive developmental experiences birth through age eight intersect with academic, health, and economic outcomes.
Other highlights of the conference included:
- Early Findings on the Implementation and Impacts of Washington, DC’s Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund – This session examined Washington, DC’s Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, highlighting its implementation, impact on the labor market, and educator experiences, with thoughts from key stakeholders on future planning.
- Exclusionary Practices in Early Childhood: Teacher Beliefs and Experiences – This session explored why some educators continue exclusionary practices in early childhood programs despite interventions, offering insights to improve expulsion prevention strategies.
- Connecting Housing and Early Care and Education to Understand Family Needs and the Value of Multi-System Interventions – Panelists discussed the impact of housing instability on early childhood equity, highlighting the role of ECE providers and the need for innovative multi-system support for families.
- State of the Field Synthesis: Leveraging Mental Health Consultation Research and Evaluation to Advance Equity – This session reviewed the evolution of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC), its nationwide implementation, evidence base, and future research needs with a focus on social justice.