At a glance

  • Goals: the outcomes you aim to achieve.

  • Strategies: the approaches that move you toward those outcomes.

  • Policies: the specific levers a state can adopt now.

Policy Framework

From big-picture vision to practical policies.

Too many ECE initiatives confuse activity with progress. Our policy framework separates outcomes, strategic approaches, and specific policy options—so state action stays focused on measurable results for children, families, businesses, and state economies.

How it works

Our framework organizes ECE policy into three levels — goals, strategies, and policies — with goals driving strategies and strategies determining the options states choose.

Each level flows from the one above, creating a path from vision to implementation.

Goals set the destination. Strategies map your route. Policies are the specific levers a state can adopt that put strategies into practice.

Why This Structure Matters

  •  Coherence: Every policy flows from a strategy, and every strategy advances a goal.

  • Accountability: Clear lines from action to outcomes make progress measurable.

  • Efficiency: Fewer scattered initiatives; more targeted, high-yield steps.