The Power of Community Data from Families with Young Children on Local Decision-Making
Access to real-time, community-level data has the potential to reshape how early childhood systems support children, families, and caregivers. From policy planning to everyday decision-making, listening directly to families and elevating their voices is no longer a nice-to-have; it's essential.
As part of the Bearing Witness: RAPID @ 5 event, a series of rich panel discussions offered insights into states and communities using data from their place-based RAPID surveys to design responsive, equitable, and impactful systems of care.
The panels emphasized the importance of investing in our youngest children and their caregivers, to support healthy, positive development and a strong foundation for life. The long-term returns of early investment have ripple effects at the individual level and in communities, economies, and for generations.
Building Comprehensive Support Systems Locally
In the panel on building community systems, speakers emphasized a systems-building approach—creating a network of interconnected policies, programs, services, and supports for young children and their families, rather than focusing on individual efforts.
Leaders from Kent County, Michigan, shared an inspiring model for using community systems to rethink early childhood support. First Steps Kent’s Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage initiative uses RAPID data to guide funding decisions that advance early childhood and school readiness. The organization aligns services with community needs and successfully advocated for the millage’s renewal, ensuring sustained well-being supports for young children and families.
As the president of First Steps Kent, Jennifer Headley-Nordman, summarized, “We want to be at a point where all children and all the families have what they need to be successful.”
Watch the Community System: Building Systems of Care for Young Children panel.
Kent County prioritizes parent voice and forms cross-sector collaborations that include healthcare, education, and community organizations. By utilizing data-driven community surveys, they've dismantled silos and built inclusive and effective systems.
Highlights of their approach also include:
- Real-time community data collection.
- Bidirectional design with parent input.
- Flexible funding mechanisms.
- Equity-focused strategies to reach underserved populations.
- Trust as a guiding principle.
“Meeting parents where they are is exactly that—meeting parents where they are willing to speak,” said Anthony Queen of First Steps Kent and the Parent Leader Network. Trust-building begins with authenticity and representation. “If I walk in and I don’t see anyone that looks like me, I’m going to turn right around and go back,” he added.
Empowering Communities Through Data
Another panel featured leaders from partner organizations based in Harris County, Texas; North Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Whatcom County, Washington. Panelists shared how learnings from their RAPID community surveys informs decisions in their communities. From large urban investments to grassroots, family-centered policymaking, the message was clear: Decisions about how to support families and children must be informed by their lived experiences.
Each community has adopted unique approaches:
- Parent data from Harris County’s RAPID survey informed their commitment to invest $149 million in early childhood infrastructure.
- North Minneapolis listened to parents' survey responses and implemented an anti-racist engagement model that reflects their community’s needs and interests.
- Whatcom County is elevating family voice in its decisions about local levy investments for young children.
Panelists emphasized that understanding what families need begins by listening to parents and caregivers, especially those whose voices are often unheard. As Danielle Buckner of Northside Achievement Zone said, “We are constantly asking, ‘How will the scholars and the families be better off when we do this?’”
Watch the RAPID Community Voices in Action: What Communities are Doing and What’s Next panel.
Despite systemic challenges, panelists voiced optimism and a sense of urgency. “Hope always overweighs the distress,” said Santrice Jones, reflecting on Harris County’s commitment to change.
Sarah Simpson of Whatcom County reminded attendees: “Every single dollar that we spend in early childhood is just exponential on the other end.”
Applying Community Data to State-level Discussions
The final panel broadened the impact lens to statewide initiatives. Leaders from California, Connecticut, and Colorado, explored how local RAPID data informs equitable policy development in their respective states. Speakers stressed the importance of disaggregated data, trust-building, and dignity in service.
As Mayra Alvarez of The Children’s Partnership put it: “One of the most prominent messages was the lack of dignity people feel in accessing services. How do you legislate dignity?” This question shaped a discussion on moving beyond policy on paper, to lived equity in practice.
Watch the Data-Informed State Policy Decisions: What States Need, What States Do panel.
The panel advocated for strategies that center community voices, including:
- Advisory councils that reflect community diversity.
- Multilingual and culturally responsive surveys.
- Leadership pathways for parents and providers.
The shift from top-down policy to community-informed governance is shaping early childhood systems, and these panel conversations affirm that local decision-making powered by community-level data is transforming how we support families. From Kent County’s generational engagement model to state-level equity reforms, these stories also serve as a roadmap for future action.
Data-driven strategies grounded in trust, shaped by lived experience, and centered on the strengths and hopes of each and every family can improve existing community systems as well as co-create new ones.
