Early Care and Education Partnerships: A Review of the Literature

This literature review, conducted as part of the Study of Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, assesses the current knowledge base for early care and education (ECE) partnerships, highlights promising models or components of models for these partnerships, and identifies gaps in the research. The review draws from 78 studies of ECE partnerships, including partnerships between Head Start and Early Head Start grantees and child care providers, school districts and child care providers and Head Start agencies, and other types of partnerships, including partnerships with informal caregivers and early intervention services. The review provides information about the characteristics of ECE partnerships; potential benefits of ECE partnerships to programs, providers, and families; common barriers; factors that may facilitate ECE partnerships; and gaps in the knowledge base.  The findings from the review helped to inform a theory of change for Early Head Start-child care partnerships, which is included within the report.