Author: Deborah A. Ziegler
Contributors: DaSy’s Early Childhood National Data Partners Activity Team

The DaSy Center recently published Exploring National Data About Young Children with Disabilities, a new brief designed to help states identify and use national data resources to strengthen early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services. The brief highlights how these data can be shared, linked, and integrated to support better outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families.

Here are some questions and answers to help you learn more about the brief and how it can support your work.

Why is it critical to collaborate with state data partners?

Collaboration is critical for early childhood state leaders who want to increase their awareness of national data resources that can support them in sharing, linking, integrating, and using data to enhance the provision of EI and ECSE services.

Why is data sharing, linking, integration, and use so important to my state work?

Children with disabilities often participate in and are served by multiple early childhood programs that frequently are not coordinated. This siloed approach to service delivery may affect the quality of services provided. To ensure high-quality and appropriate services and supports for young children with disabilities and their families, it is critical to develop strong partnerships across early childhood program sectors and to share and use data to inform policy and practice. The exploration and use of data from other programs can identify possible areas of cross-sector collaboration and inform continuous improvement efforts across the entire early childhood system.

What types of data resources are highlighted in DaSy new brief?

The brief highlights three types of data resources that can support your efforts to strengthen cross-sector data partnerships and enhance EI and ECSE services:

• National program data sources through which states can access primary data
• Reports and resources that summarize and analyze data for users (including state staff)
• National technical assistance (TA) centers and related initiatives that support states’ use of data

These data resource types are grouped into two broad sectors based on their associations with federal reporting in education and in health and human services.

What data sources are available to support states’ data work?

There are many sources:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Programs (Part C and Part B, Section 619)
• Head Start Programs
• Child Care Programs
• Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Programs
• Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Programs
• Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)

How do I start to explore the data resources through the lens of critical questions?

When exploring and using the data resources, you can consider a few of the DaSy Critical Questions About Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. These selected questions are intended to spark discussion with cross-sector state partners and support the long-term goal of improving access, services, and supports along with positive outcomes for all young children and their families. Some recommended critical questions to consider are:

• How do children enter and move through the early intervention/early
• To what extent are children with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) or Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) attending general early care and education programs?
• What are the characteristics of the practitioners working with children with IFSPs/IEPs in general early care and education?

What are the first steps I can take with my state team to collaborate with cross-sector state data partners?

• Identify possible areas for collaboration and data partnerships with cross-sector partners
• Consider how to use the data available to support continuous improvement efforts
• Develop a data partnership formal arrangement between two or more parties to collaborate to advance one or both partners’ data interests
• Develop a mutually agreed-on scope of work, sustainable technical solutions, confidence that the linked data will be used only as agreed, and a commitment to jointly governing the data

(For more details on the content of the documents that support data linking partnerships, see Step 3: Formalize Data Linking Partnership in the DaSy Data Linking Toolkit.)

What potential data linking partnerships are possible between Part C and Part B 619 programs?

Part C and Part B 619 programs and services are an important component of larger state early childhood systems. Given the variety of programs and services that states offer for young children and their families, Part C or Part B 619 program staff may engage with many potential data linking partners.

One of the most common data linking partnerships is between the Part C and the Part B 619 programs to support transition notification. Part C and Part B 619 agencies also partner with other agencies or programs, both internal and external, to share data. For example, Part C program staff may connect with EHDI program staff to cross-reference notification of parents of children with potential hearing loss. Part B 619 program staff may work with staff in another early childhood program, such as Head Start, to accurately report the number of children who receive services from both programs. Partnerships benefit one or both agencies or programs by increasing the information they have about services provided to children and families so they can make informed decisions to improve services.

These data linking partnerships can help states answer larger policy questions as well as other important program questions. For example, linking EHDI and Part C data may support referral efficiencies for families needing multiple services, earlier access to hearing services, and timely transitions across programs as children get older. The partnerships may help predict future program caseload and staffing needs and gain a better understanding of child and family outcomes. The partnerships can foster the use of data evaluation for program improvement.

What technical assistance can the DaSy Center provide to states?

Contact your DaSy TA Liaison for additional support. Examples of the individualized TA DaSy can provide for states include:

• Facilitating state leadership teams or stakeholder meetings related to data systems work
• Consulting and problem-solving
• Providing guidance by asking questions to promote reflection and decisions
• Sharing information (e.g., literature, products) and resources from other states (e.g., existing forms/policies)
• Providing feedback on state documents or materials being developed
• Assisting states in developing data sharing agreements

What DaSy resources are available for ongoing learning?

• DaSy Data System Framework
• Critical Questions About Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education
• DaSy Data Governance Toolkit
• DaSy Data Linking Toolkit
• Exploring National Data About Young Children with Disabilities

About the Author

Deborah A. Ziegler, Ed.D. is a DaSy TA provider specializing in disability policy and practice. She has broad public policy experience at the international, national, state, and local levels. Dr. Ziegler’s interests include policy development, implementation, and analysis; knowledge development; and information collection and dissemination. She has expertise in systems design focused on organizational leadership and collaborative partnerships. Currently, she consults with international and domestic organizations, associations, governments, and universities.

Published October 28, 2025.