Child Trends

02/20/2026

The ECE workforce is made up of skilled, knowledgeable educators, most of whom have more than 10 years of experience and have completed college coursework. While field experience is one way through which educators gain key competencies, few states include experience as a qualification for career advancement. But with several states turning to competency-based frameworks for their career pathways, we see an opportunity to innovate.

The National ECE Workforce Center’s latest research-to-practice brief explores options for developing career pathways that recognize the knowledge and competencies early educators gain via experience in the field, in addition to professional development and education.

Check out the brief, and share it with an early education leader in your network: https://www.nationaleceworkforcecenter.org/publications/incorporating-early-educators-experience-into-career-pathways/

02/19/2026

Young adulthood (ages 18 to 29) is a critical time for building the skills, confidence, and experiences needed to thrive later in life—including in the workforce. Professionals who work with young adults should be able to draw on young people’s existing strengths to support their professional growth and long-term success, drawing on an approach known as positive youth development.

Child Trends’ latest blog explores how positive youth development principles apply in workforce development settings for young adults. This blog is based on findings from the Generation Work™ initiative—a decade of work developed and funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation— that connected more of America’s young adults to meaningful employment.

Young adulthood (ages 18 to 29) is a critical time for building the skills, confidence, and experiences needed to thrive later in life—including in the workforce. Professionals who work with young adults should know how to draw on young people’s existing strengths to support their professional g...

02/18/2026

A Child Trends analysis of data from the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) shows that 59 percent of foster youth were employed at age 21 in federal fiscal year (FY) 2024. This percentage figure represents nearly a decade of growth since these national data were first collected in FY 2015, despite a small dip in employment among this age group during FY 2021—likely due to slow nationwide economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employment is an important source of self-sufficiency and well-being for young people—including foster youth—as they transition into adulthood. Steady employment supports financial independence, which may provide greater access to resources like stable housing and the opportunity to pursue education goals.
https://www.childtrends.org/publications/foster-youth-employment-age-21

02/17/2026

Adverse childhood experiences (or ACEs) broadly refer to a range of childhood circumstances or events that pose a serious threat to physical or psychological well-being, and are associated with many negative physical and mental health outcomes throughout the lifespan.

The overall prevalence of ACEs declined modestly from 2018 to 2023, but patterns in specific ACEs varied over this period. According to a new Child Trends analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), declines in three specific ACEs stand out: income insecurity, parental divorce or separation, and parental incarceration. These declines are notable in part because parental divorce/separation and income insecurity have consistently been the most common ACEs tracked in the NSCH since 2018.

The prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (or ACEs; see Glossary) declined from 2018 to 2023, but patterns of specific types of ACEs varied over this period. According to a new Child Trends analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), declines in three specific ACEs stand out...

02/17/2026

If you’re tackling complex ECE access challenges—whether it’s supply gaps, data limitations, or policy barriers—the ECE Access Center is here to partner with you. We diagnose system issues, elevate family voice, and co-create solutions that are practical and sustainable. If you’re ready to move from challenges to actionable steps, we can help. https://www.childtrends.org/research-centers/ece-access-center

02/13/2026

A recent Child Trends brief explores foundational considerations for those in the child care and early education (CCEE) sector to best support Indigenous families and communities. Given increased interest in culturally grounded approaches that integrate Indigenous stories, languages, and practices into child care, research and evaluation approaches that align with Indigenous worldviews and caregiving practices can support CCEE policies and programs that honor Indigenous families’ preferences for their children.
Our researchers developed four recommendations for research and evaluation efforts:
1. Center Indigenous worldviews on child caregiving.
2. Value CCEE programs that are grounded in Indigenous cultures.
3. Account for Indigenous community contexts.
4. Strengthen data and collaboration.
https://www.childtrends.org/publications/indigenous-families-preferences-child-care-early-education

02/12/2026

S*xual and reproductive health (SRH) is not only a personal issue, but one that shapes well-being, stability, and participation in the workforce. When employees can easily access and understand their SRH benefits, they are better equipped to protect their health, plan their families, and navigate major life decisions that directly affect their ability to show up and perform at work.

Child Trends’ latest brief highlights insights from an employer survey conducted by Child Trends and the Health Action Alliance (HAA). Findings suggest that several factors—including stigma, limited awareness of business impacts, and hesitation by leadership—may be keeping employers from taking advantage of timely opportunities to promote SRH-related benefits that support well-being, productivity, and retention.

February observances like Valentine’s Day and National Condom Week bring renewed attention to relationships and s*xual health. These moments offer a timely reminder that s*xual and reproductive health (SRH) is not only a personal issue, but one that shapes well-being, stability, and participation ...

02/11/2026

A new Child Trends analysis of the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) shows that two thirds of foster youth remain stably housed through age 21. Every three years, a new cohort of NYTD respondents is surveyed at age 17, with follow-up at ages 19 and 21. Among the four cohorts who have completed their age 21 survey, 65 to 67 percent reported being stably housed (i.e., not experiencing homelessness) at all three timepoints.

Although we do not know whether surveyed youth left foster care before age 18, aged out at age 18, or entered extended foster care after age 18, research shows that young people transitioning out of foster care are best positioned to achieve their goals as young adults when they have a foundation of stable housing, among other supports.
https://www.childtrends.org/publications/foster-youth-stably-housed-through-age-21

02/10/2026

In 2023, 7 percent of women who gave birth in the United States received late (beginning in the third trimester) or no prenatal care, according to data from the National Vital Statistics System. Child Trends’ latest blog highlights two jurisdictions that have enacted policies granting paid time off to workers seeking prenatal care or other pregnancy-related medical care.

Timely and regular prenatal care provides an opportunity to identify and manage potential complications for both pregnant people and fetuses during pregnancy, including infection, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, mental health concerns, substance use, and genetic conditions or other fetal abnormalities. Prenatal care visits also allow providers to screen patients for risk factors like stress, unstable housing, and intimate partner violence, and to provide referrals for resources and education on topics related to pregnancy and neonatal health.
https://www.childtrends.org/publications/paid-leave-access-critical-prenatal-care

02/09/2026

Fewer high school students say they’ve had s*x. This number has been trending downward over the past three decades. But what does and doesn’t this information tell us about teens and their overall s*xual health and safety? You can listen to Jenn Rogers, senior program area director for s*xual and reproductive health at Child Trends, as she explains the data behind the trend and raises questions that deserve more attention.

Today’s high schoolers are reporting lower rates of s*xual activity than previous generations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from 2023, 32 percent of high schoolers said they’ve ever had s*xual in*******se. That’s a noti...

02/06/2026

New resources from the Activate Center aim to better support the reproductive health of youth involved in the justice system. Activate summarized data from 16 studies across four key areas: s*xual activity, condom use, s*xually transmitted infections, and pregnancy and childbearing. Based on this analysis, Activate created an infographic to show some of the key takeaways, with the goal of helping youth-supporting professionals strengthen their practice. Explore the infographic and data summary: https://activatecenter.org/resource/key-data-srh-of-justice-system-involved-youth/

02/06/2026

What are the biggest issues for the next generation of workers entering the workforce? The answer to that question is key to attracting, retaining, and supporting young employees. Workforce development organizations can gather and share valuable information for employers by engaging younger workers in things like:

• Focus groups
• Interviews
• Surveys
• Advisory boards

A research brief—part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation Generation Work initiative—offers many valuable lessons around engaging younger workers effectively.

Increasingly, workforce development practitioners seek to elevate the voices of young adult workers as a means to partner with employers on improving workplace practices. Hearing directly from young adults and earlier career workers helps employers better understand and appreciate their needs, motiv...