Groundwork Ohio Releases Preview of a First-of-Its-Kind Early Childhood Dashboard
The Dashboard Preview Provides a Snapshot of Ohio’s Performance on 20 Key Early Childhood Metrics
COLUMBUS, OH – Today, Groundwork Ohio released its Early Childhood Dashboard Preview, which outlines Ohio’s performance on 20 key early childhood metrics including early learning access, kindergarten readiness, poverty, prenatal care, well-child visits, and more. The Early Childhood Dashboard Preview is a precursor to a first-of-its-kind, more comprehensive Early Childhood Dashboard that will be released in 2023. The 2023 Dashboard will build on the Dashboard Preview to more fully examine the factors and outcomes required to achieve equity and lay a strong foundation for young children in Ohio.
Ultimately, the Early Childhood Dashboard will be a tool to track Ohio’s performance on key early childhood metrics and illuminate areas where the state needs increased investment, focused attention, and urgent action.
“While it’s never too early to invest in Ohio’s youngest children, it can be too late,” said Shannon Jones, Groundwork Ohio’s President & CEO. “As our state leaders forge a path forward toward a healthier and economically vibrant state, our youngest children must be an integral part of the vision. Prioritizing Ohio’s youngest begins with data and measuring what matters. Our Early Childhood Dashboard provides leaders with a starting place for meeting the unique needs of our youngest children and their families.”
Groundwork’s Early Childhood Dashboard Preview examines key early childhood metrics across four domains: Early learning access and quality; healthcare access and quality; childhood trauma and adversity prevention; and economic stability. The Dashboard Preview also puts data in context by analyzing trends across years, comparing Ohio to the United States and highlighting disparities and inequities. The data in the Dashboard Preview makes it clear that, while some progress has been made, Ohio has room for improvement in supporting young children and their families.
Over the next year, Groundwork Ohio will gather feedback on the Dashboard Preview to inform development of the 2023 Dashboard. As part of this process, Groundwork will consult with and solicit feedback from early childhood experts, families, community organizations, providers, and other early childhood stakeholders at the local, state, and national levels.
Groundwork Ohio contracted with the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) to facilitate development of the Early Childhood Dashboard Preview. To learn more about the Early Childhood Dashboard and to provide feedback on the Dashboard Preview, visit www.groundworkohio.org/dashboard.
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Groundwork Ohio is a committed, nonpartisan public-policy research and advocacy organization formed in 2004 that champions high-quality early learning and healthy development strategies from the prenatal period to age five, that lay a strong foundation for Ohio kids, families, and communities. Learn more about Groundwork Ohio at www.groundworkohio.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.