Our Research
Research Projects
Since the inception of the ASPIRE PreK program, the Alliance has been committed to broadening the field's understanding of how to create high-quality, sustainable PreK programs in family child care homes. In addition, the Alliance is actively involved with partners around the state and country to support the growth of family child care.
Project: Identify Barriers to Greater Participation in Public PreK by Maryland's Family Child Care Providers
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Description: Even with the dramatic success of the ASPIRE PreK program in helping to establish PreK programs in family child car homes across the state, less than 2% of Maryland's four thousand licensed family child care homes have elected to become part of the public PreK system. This project seeks to identified the barriers to great participation by family child care providers and more importantly, provide policy and regulatory changes to facilitate greater participation.
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Project Lead: Dr. Sondeania Johnson, Alliance, and Dr. Chris Swanson, C-Impact
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Status: In progress, estimated completion, fall 2023.
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Funding Provided by: The Bainum Family Foundation
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Project: Identify Resource Gaps
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Description: Building on the work of the Barriers study above, document and provide the resources and supports needed to help licensed family child care programs in Maryland access public PreK funding.
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Project Lead: Dr. Sondeania Johnson, Alliance, and Dr. Chris Swanson, C-Impact
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Status: In progress, estimated completion, fall 2023.
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Funding Provided by: The Bainum Family Foundation
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Project: Identify Business Models
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Description: The third part of the Bainum funded research is to provide examples of the business models needed to make public PreK participation a more viable funding option for licensed family child care programs in Maryland. Report to include optimal funding levels (private and public), enrollment, ratio, and attendance.
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Project Lead: Dr. Sondeania Johnson, Alliance, and Dr. Chris Swanson, C-Impact
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Status: In progress, estimated completion, fall 2023.
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Funding Provided by: The Bainum Family Foundation
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Project: Family Child Care Apprenticeship
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Description: Design and implement an apprenticeship for new family child care providers. Apprenticeship will become part of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program (MATP) and approved by the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning.
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Project Leads: Jody Lamberti, Director of Operations, Alliance, and Dr. Debi Silverman, Johns Hopkins University
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Status: In progress, estimated implementation, Winter 2024.
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Funding Provided by: Johns Hopkins University, as part of a Maryland Rebuilds Grant awarded by the Maryland State Department of Education.
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Project: Coaching Framework for PreK in Family Child Care
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Description: According to a report by the National Institute for Early Education released in 20xx, only a few states in the country fund family child care providers for full-day PreK for the standard, 180 day school year. With the advent of the ASPIRE PreK program, Maryland became one of those states. Family child care is a unique educational setting, and there is very little research on how to help family child care providers deliver high-quality PreK instruction in their home businesses.
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Project Leads: Jody Lamberti, Director of Operations, Alliance, and Dr. Debi Silverman, Johns Hopkins University
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Status: In progress, estimated implementation, Winter 2024.
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Funding Provided by: Johns Hopkins University, as part of a Maryland Rebuilds Grant awarded by the Maryland State Department of Education.