Section 1 Introduction

Forsyth Futures received a grant from Smart Start of Forsyth County in the 2021-2022 fiscal year to generate recommendations on how to develop an early childhood data hub in Forsyth County. A critical first step in generating these recommendations was to better understand the following about our early childhood systems:

  • current data practices across the early childhood education systems,
  • early childhood providers’ interests in participating in a data hub,
  • resources that are needed for participation in a data hub,
  • barriers that providers have that may prevent them from participating in a data hub, and
  • learning how communities across the country are building and utilizing data hubs and what lessons have they learned in the process.

The Forsyth Futures team administered a survey to gather this information and the survey included responses from child care and pre-k sites, non-profit, governmental, and healthcare providers. Additionally, the Forsyth Futures team interviewed communities across the country to learn about how data hubs are built in other places and to capture lessons learned from those communities. Following the key findings and methodology sections, the results of the provider survey are organized into the following subsections: current landscape, interest in a data hub, resources and supports needed, barriers, and other considerations. A summary of the interviews with other communities who have built or are building a data hub follows the results of the provider survey.