Section 2 Key Findings

The key findings from both the provider survey and the research on other communities who have developed or are in process of developing a data hub are included here. The key findings from the provider survey are organized into the following sections: current landscape, interest in participating in a data hub, resources and support needed and barriers to participation, and other considerations.

2.1 Current Landscape

Child care and pre-k providers, non-profit, governmental, and healthcare providers are largely collecting demographic data for the children they serve, however across the different demographic fields about 25-35% of child care and pre-k providers who took the survey are collecting this information on paper or in a notes field in an electronic database for most types of information.
Data on the families, assessments, and screenings was much less commonly collected with few of the items being collected by more than half of respondents. Among the child care and pre-k providers, TS Gold, ASQ, ASQ-SE, and dental and vision screenings were the most commonly administered.
Data is typically being collected by administrators, staff working with the child, or staff working with the family.
All of the non-profit, governmental, and healthcare providers interviewed use an electronic database, but there was considerable diversity in systems that were utilized, while about 60% of child care and pre-k providers utilize an electronic database with the most common system being TS Gold with about a third reporting its use.
Respondents indicated several agencies having data reporting requirements, including North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (NCDCDEE), North Carolina Pre-K, HeadStart, and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. NCDCDEE was the most common agency with reporting requirements for child care and pre-k providers and NCDHHS was the most common for non-profits, governmental, and healthcare providers. Several additional agencies were cited as having reporting requirements.
The physician’s office and the Department of Social Services were the most common entities where data is shared across all respondents and Smart Start of Forsyth County, HeadStart, NC Pre-K, Child Care Resource Center and the school system were common entities where data is shared for child care and pre-k providers.
There is a lot of variety on how respondents indicated they are using data, especially for non-profits, governmental, and healthcare providers. Child care and pre-k providers reported most often using the data to help families understand how children are developing and progressing towards their goals.

2.2 Interest in a Data Hub

Most respondents indicated that they would be likely or very likely to participate in a data hub in the different ways listed, however many indicated that when data is shared or received it would be dependent on consent, privacy, and legal considerations, and it was common for respondents to report not being sure if or how they would participate.
The top three things that would make child care and pre-k providers participate in a data hub or collect additional information were free staff training on how to use the database and assessment tools, compensation for staff time conducting assessments or entering data, and capacity for someone other than the staff person primarily caring for the child to collect and enter data. For nonprofit, government, and healthcare providers, the top three were the ability to communicate with other agencies serving the child, ability to measure impact, and compensation for staff time.
The types of information that respondents would like was quite varied, but child care and pre-k providers most frequently indicated information on families needs and goals, information on how the children perform in the school system, and information on whether a child was developmentally on track.

2.3 Barriers, and Resources and Support Needed to Participate

Respondents indicated in order to participate they would need staff training, access to consultants on how to conduct assessments and enter data, compensation for staff time spent, and access to IT support. Notably, it was common for child care and pre-k providers to report not being sure of potential barriers.
The types of things that respondents indicated would prevent them from participating include not knowing how to collect the information, not having the ability to collect the information, families not being comfortable with the information being captured, staff time required to enter data, and costs associated with assessment tools and software.

2.4 Other Considerations

A couple respondents indicated that if we move forward with a data hub it would be important to engage a broad group of people in the conversation and the hub should be for more than just Smart Start of Forsyth County purposes.
There was also concern about how data sharing may impact families’ willingness to engage in services.

2.5 Interviews with Communities Who Have a Data Hub

Below are the key findings from the interviews that were conducted with four communities across the country who have built or are in the process of building a data hub in their community.

Centering racial equity in the work and throughout the life cycle of data is critical, making it important to have capacity for community engagement.
Constructing a data hub is an iterative process that takes time. Many of the communities started small and one approach is to think about the minimum viable product to get started.
Ensuring that there are long-term resources for the project is important given it takes time to build a data hub. The start up costs are large, and it takes quite a bit to maintain.
Having a community leader who is a champion and legal support are both critical components of building a hub.
Building buy-in with partners is critical to maintain engagement and participation in a data hub. One good approach to making the data hub concept more successful is using visuals as much as possible. Related to engagement and buy-in is the importance of ongoing communication and transparency.
To stay on track and keep everyone on the same page, it is important to develop a clear mission, vision, and goals and have the end in mind.
There are a number of different models that are being utilized in other communities. Some communities are using a data hub just for evaluation, research, and strategic planning, while others also include care coordination, but care coordination is generally a long-term goal for most communities. Additionally, the backbone organization varies between governmental, academic, and nonprofits, with each of these models having different pros and cons.
Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania is an invaluable resource in the process of developing a data hub. It offers a cohort that acts as a learning community where there is information sharing. Having access to a peer community network can greatly accelerate the progress of developing a data hub.
Building a data culture and how data benefits the community and organizations is an important part of the process to maximize the benefit of a data hub.