Start Early. Start well.

Research

research priorities

The Buffett Early Childhood Institute is committed to ensuring its work is informed by and informs the evidence base in early childhood practice and policy. In partnership with university colleagues, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, early childhood professionals, and other diverse stakeholders in communities across the state, the Institute conducts collaborative and applied research to identify and promote early childhood practices and policies that support its mission — to transform the lives of young children by improving their learning and development.

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four areas of inquiry

Workforce Well-Being

To ensure Nebraska’s early child professionals are adequately prepared and equitably compensated and supported in their work, the Institute conducts research related to elevating the well-being of the early childhood workforce. This work is informed by the Ecological Framework of Early Childhood Professional Well-Being. MORE

Equitable Evaluation in Systems Change

To ensure each child in Nebraska has equitable access to quality early childhood education and other essential services, the Institute conducts research on equitable evaluation methods to inform early childhood systems change.

Research-Practice Partnerships

To improve early childhood systems, the Institute conducts applied research in collaboration with partners across Nebraska who have a vested interest in promoting equitable changes in early childhood systems at the community, regional, and state levels.

Man explaining data drawn on white board

Data Utilization

To help policymakers make informed decisions about how to equitably improve the state’s early childhood systems, the Institute leads efforts to address research and evaluation questions using integrated early childhood data.