Purpose and Vision
ECIDS will align critical data from programs and services for children ages 0 – 5 and their families. The system will identify service gaps, create opportunities for analysis and research, and provide an integrated and aligned approach to demonstrate how well the state is meeting the needs of its youngest learners.
The broad purpose of an ECIDS is to provide integrated, cross-program data that inform decisions about early childhood policies, services, and education. The initial purpose statement for ECIDS, formulated with a systematic process in 2016 by the Nebraska Early Childhood Data Coalition, is provided below. The purpose statement helps establish the reasons for which the ECIDS has been built, the tangible value of the system, the scope of the ECIDS, and how key stakeholders will use it. It helps specify what the system is and what it is not, and who would benefit from it. The state’s early childhood leadership team will refine the purpose statement and drive the specific action(s) of the ECIDS in support of the state’s goals and to meet the information needs of their intended users.
Purpose Statement: Through collaboration across and within agencies and programs, ECIDS Nebraska will enable Nebraska to make informed decisions about programs and policies that promote positive outcomes for all children, prenatally through eight years old.
Vision:
ECIDS Nebraska:
- Provides information to families about the availability of early childhood programs and services throughout the state
- Helps identify short- and long-term outcomes for continuous program/service improvement
- Evaluates the alignment between early education services and child progress
ECIDS Nebraska is not:
- A quick fix for all risk factors facing young children
- An infringement on privacy or confidentiality
- A replacement for individual program data systems