Author: Linh Le
Contributors: Jenna Nguyen and Howard Morrison
DaSy’s technical assistance (TA) helps state and partner organizations strengthen their capacity to engage families in data practices and improve family outcomes. The Family Data Leaders initiative, the Family Outcomes Cohort, and the Family Outcomes Data Community of Practice are three ongoing TA efforts that exemplify how states and family partners work together to include families in data systems and practices.
Family Data Leaders
Co-led by DaSy and the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR), the Family Data Leaders initiative supports Parent Centers and family leaders in developing skills to understand and use data for systems improvement. Parent Center staff receive training from CPIR/DaSy, then prepare family members to become Family Data Leaders who can guide local and state efforts to strengthen family engagement in data use.
The Family Data Leaders initiative has trained three cohorts of Parent Center staff across 22 states, with Cohort 3 recently launching in October 2025. Each cohort builds capacity among families to meaningfully contribute to data-based decision making and systems change.
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.
Family Outcomes Cohort
The Family Outcomes Cohort, supported by DaSy in collaboration with the ECTA Center, brings together state Part C coordinators, Part C data managers, and family representatives to enhance how states collect, analyze, and use family outcomes data.
The current Family Outcomes Cohort, launched in August 2025, includes teams from three states that are working to improve the quality of family outcomes data and strengthen engagement with families at multiple levels of their systems.
Family Outcomes Data Community of Practice
The Family Outcomes Data Community of Practice (CoP) provides a space for participants to share issues, strategies, and resources related to measuring family outcomes such as data analysis, quality, use, and dissemination. Members determine topics and guide peer-to-peer learning through collaborative cross-state discussions.
CoP meetings occur on a quarterly basis. The learning community is open to Part C Coordinators, Part C Data Managers, family members, family liaisons, and other state and local staff who work directly with analyzing, interpreting, and sharing Part C family survey data in their state.
Building Capacity Together
Across TA efforts, DaSy fosters a culture of learning, partnership, and shared purpose that empowers states and families to use data as a tool for positive change. Participants gain practical skills and build lasting relationships that strengthen the bridge between family voice and data-driven improvement.
Resources for Ongoing Learning
- Center for Parent Information and Resources
- Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)
- Technical Assistance
About the Authors and Contributors
Linh Le is a Communications Specialist at SRI. She currently supports communications for the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy), managing the center’s social media efforts and blog.
Jenna Nguyen is a technical assistance specialist for The DaSy Center. With over 10 years of experience across the early childhood and special education systems, she brings a passion to empowering families, cultivating authentic connections, and integrating systems thinking and data to ensure that children and families can access the quality services and supports they need to thrive.
Howard Morrison is a DaSy Technical Assistance State Liaison who specializes in early childhood education on a variety of topics, including interagency data integration and data use, data governance, data sharing agreements, school readiness, transitions, public–private partnerships, community engagement, and systems and relationship building in state systems.
Published May 11, 2026