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Early Childhood Surveys

The two primary, repeating early childhood surveys are the School Readiness (SR-NHES) and Early Childhood Program Participation (ECPP-NHES or ECE-NHES) surveys. The School Readiness survey was conducted in 1993 and 2007, with a limited number of questions asked in the Parent-NHES survey of 1999. The Early Childhood Program Participation surveys occurred in 1991, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2012, 2016, and 2019, with a subset of questions also asked in 1999. For more information, go to https://nces.ed.gov/nhes/young_children.asp.

ECPP surveys include questions on the following topics:

  • children's participation in formal and informal nonparental care and education programs, including
    • relative care
    • non-relative care
    • center-based care
    • Head Start and Early Head start programs
  • characteristics of care arrangements, including
    • hours spent in nonparental care
    • time spent in nonparental care
    • numbers of children and care providers in arrangement

The SR surveys include questions on the following topics:

  • children's home literacy activities with family members
  • school adjustment
  • early school experiences

Extensive background and household information was also collected about children and their families.

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