Research and Data

At OEC, we support high quality research — research that improves knowledge and understanding about early childhood services and people’s experiences. Learn how to access and explore an array of CT early childhood data resources.

Get access to published data

See OEC data and reports

Explore our Agency and Program Reports page. You can also jump directly to:

Create a child care program roster using eLicense

  • Visit the state’s eLicense website
  • Choose either “Child Day Care Licensing Program” or “Youth Camp Licensing Program”
  • Choose the type of information you want (open or closed), then tap Continue
  • Download the roster in your preferred format (Excel, CSV, or text)

Check out these public data sources

Connecticut data

National reports that include Connecticut data

Request data (Freedom of Information Act)

Don’t see what you were looking for?

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides a way to request specific data. Check out our GovQA online FOI request form.

Understand your responsibilities as a researcher

“Data are a reflection of the lives of real people, not just a sterile abstraction.”

– John Schwabish, Ph.D.

* Note that OEC’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) — which operated from 2015 to 2021 — is no longer active.

Requests to conduct research involving OEC programs or services

Wanting to interview people or asking for their personal data needs to be done with great care and respect. Here are some steps for success:

  1. Contact the OEC Division director of the program you are interested in. Discuss what you’d like to do, how you hope to do it, and why you think it is important for understanding and improving the lives of young children and the people who care for them.
    • Pro Tip: email a letter of introduction and ask for a brief meeting. Attach a written description of your proposal. Include your institution’s IRB approval letter.
  2. If the OEC Division director is interested in your proposed project, ask them for a Letter of Support.
  3. Once you have the support and approvals you need, See the Understand your responsibilities as a researcher section before you begin recruiting participants.
  4. Recruitment considerations:
    • Keep in mind that people can always say, “No thanks!!” even if your research is top notch.
    • Saying Yes only applies to that “level” of approval. If the OEC Division director says “Yes”, but the program director says “No”, that’s a hard stop. If the program director says, “Yes”, then the classroom teacher says “No”, you stop. When a parent says “No”, that’s where you stop.
    • If all of the adults say “Yes” and the child’s words or behaviors show that they don’t want to talk or play or participate in the research, that’s a “NO!” and you must end the research session with that child.
  5. When you have completed your research, tell us what you learned! Share key findings and results with the OEC Division Director and with the people who participated.
Last updated November 6, 2023