PDG Needs Assessment and Sandbox

Needs Assessments

The PDG Needs Assessment was developed through a systematic process for determining “needs.” Needs are defined as the "gaps" between baseline conditions impacting the lives of Wisconsin’s children and families and the desired conditions or "wants." WI took a multi-pronged approach with our PDG Needs Assessment by reviewing existing baseline data, collaborating with cross-agency partners, conducting targeted interviews with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and much more. View all of our needs assessments and other resources in the table below.

Research and Reports

The resources listed below are the results of research and grant activities that contributed to the development of the needs assessments.

Title	Author	Date
Project Growth Overview	DCF, KW2	October 2022
Partner Up! Program Evaluation: April 2023	DCF, KW2	April 2023
Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Eligibility in Wisconsin	Urban Institute	December 2019
2020 Needs Assessment Summary	DCF	October 2020
Listening Session Summary Report	DCF	October 2020
Early Childhood Health Consultation Program Child Care Health Consultation Needs Assessment Report Early Childhood Health Consultation website	UW-Madison Department of Pediatrics	December 2020
Qualitative Interviews of Underserved Populations in Wisconsin Early care and Education Summary handouts to accompany the report: Experiences and Needs of Underserved Groups in WI Early Care and Education: African American Experiences and Needs of Underserved Groups in WI Early Care and Education: Hmong Experiences and Needs of Underserved Groups in WI Early Care and Education: Hmong [lus Hmoob] Experiences and Needs of Underserved Groups in WI Early Care and Education: Latinx Experiences and Needs of Underserved Groups in WI Early Care and Education: Latinx [en Español] Experiences and Needs of Underserved Groups in WI Early Care and Education: Rural White Experiences and Needs of Underserved Groups in WI Early Care and Education: Tribal Communities	UW-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies	December 2020
Changes in Wisconsin Shares Receipt from 2008-2018 Memo	Institute For Research on Poverty	January 2021
Changes in Regulated Child Care Capacity in Wisconsin 2005-2019 Memo	Institute For Research on Poverty	January 2021
Findings and Recommendations Report for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. A review of YoungStar Evaluation Criteria: Group Child Care 2020/2021	WIDA Early Years	April 2021
2021 Needs Assessment	DCF	July 2021
PDG Application (2019)	DCF	February 2020
PDG Renewal Application (2020)	DCF	January 2021
Wisconsin Early Care and Education Workforce Study Executive summary Wisconsin’s Early Care and Education Workforce at a Glance (Infographic) Report on the Survey of Program Directors (Report 1) Report on the Survey of Center-Based Teachers (Report 2) Report on the Survey of Family Providers (Report 3) Outside resources The State of Wisconsin’s Early Care and Education Workforce by WECA (Recommendations Brief) A Snapshot of Early Care and Education Teachers in Milwaukee by Milwaukee Succeeds (en español)	DCF, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Institute for Research on Poverty, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association, and UW-Madison Survey Center	December 2021
Wisconsin Employer Perceptions of Early Care and Education Research 2021 Research Snapshot Comprehensive Research Findings	DCF, WEDC, and KW2	February 2022
Risk and Reach Website	DCF, IRP, APL, DPI, and DHS	March 2022
2022 Needs Assessment	UW Whitewater	June 2022
Doing What's Best for Our Kids: PDG January 2021-June 2022	DCF	November 2022
Caregiver Survey Findings Summary	IRP, DCF	June 2023
Promising Practices Supporting Early Childhood Transitions Executive Summary Eight Case Studies	UW-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies	March 2024

Sandbox

Just as children learn best through play, adults also need to dig, explore and try out different tools. Our team is on a mission to build a “research sandbox” big enough for all of us to find answers to our questions, notice trends, encounter new information we had never considered and dream up opportunities to grow.

Below, you will find a series of data dashboards allowing early care and education professionals, community leaders, and policy makers the opportunity to play with data in a virtual sandbox. This research:

Describes the range of programs and services that make up Wisconsin’s ECE landscape.
Can be used to support strategic planning, draft realistic and measurable goals, and drive objectives for local and statewide innovation projects.