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Data Sources and Information

GENERAL DATA SOURCES

The following general data sources can be used to find population-based data.

COUNTY-LEVEL DATA SOURCES FOR CALIFORNIA CHILDREN

Sources especially useful for county-level data about California’s children:

STATEWIDE DATA SOURCES FOR CALIFORNIA CHILDREN

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience
Adverse childhood experiences and resilience factors influence child development and adult outcomes.

California Health Interview Survey
The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, funded in part by First 5 California, offers survey data via the AskCHIS query tool, AskCHIS Neighborhood Edition, Health Profiles, and special publications.
http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu

California Healthy Places Index (HPI)
The California Healthy Places Index (HPI) is a powerful mapping and data tool, developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California. Explore local factors that predict life expectancy and compare community conditions across the state.
https://healthyplacesindex.org/

California Child Care Resource and Referral Network
The California Child Care Resource and Referral Network compiles data about the state and 58 counties in California communities about child care supply and demand at the local, regional, and statewide level.
https://rrnetwork.org/research

California Child Welfare Indicators Project
The California Child Welfare Indicators Project is a collaborative venture between the University of California at Berkeley and the California Department of Social Services. Housed in the School of Social Welfare, the project provides policymakers, child welfare workers, researchers, and the public with direct access to customizable information on California’s entire child welfare system.
https://ccwip.berkeley.edu/  

Child Care Data Reports
The California Department of Education, Early Education and Support Division, provides public information on child care and development programs. 
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/cdddata.asp 

Children's Data Network
Researchers at the University of Southern California, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, integrate administrative data to develop applied and actionable research projects.
http://www.datanetwork.org/research/

California Early Learning Needs Assessment Reports
The American Institutes for Research (AIR) developed this tool for users to create custom reports at the county and state levels.
https://reports.elneedsassessment.org/ReportsHome.aspx

Children Now - California County Scorecard
County-level data visualizations track key indicators of child well-being across counties, over time, and by race and ethnicity.
https://scorecard.childrennow.org/

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
The annual County Health Rankings measure vital health factors to provide a snapshot of how health is influenced by where we live, learn, work, and play. Roadmaps provide guidance and tools to understand the data, and strategies that communities can use. Project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

County Prevention Dashboard, Office of Child Abuse Prevention, CDSS
The Office of Child Abuse Prevention at the California Department of Social Services provides this county and state level dashboard for planning prevention of child maltreatment. Content includes demographics, socioeconomic status, health, substance use, violence, service access, child welfare, racial disproportionality, and data source notes.
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ocap/data-dashboards

Diversitydatakids.org
Brandeis University, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, provides national information to identify who children are, what children need, and how to improve opportunities for all children. Includes maps of the Child Opportunity Index for metro regions of California.
http://www.diversitydatakids.org/ 

Geography of Child Poverty in California
The Public Policy Institute of California’s interactive map highlights local variation in poverty among young children ages 0–5 across California.
http://www.ppic.org/main/mapdetail.asp?i=2200

California Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative
The EfC Initiative addresses child maltreatment as a public health issue and raises awareness and commitment to promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships, and environments (SSNR&E) for children. Led in partnership by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Social Service (CDSS).
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/SACB/Pages/EssentialsforChildhood.aspx

Kids Count
The Annie E. Casey Foundation integrates multiple sources of data on children.
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/

Kidsdata.org
Kidsdata.org, a program of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, promotes the health and well-being of children in California by providing an easy to use resource that offers high-quality, wide-ranging, local data to those who work on behalf of children.
http://www.kidsdata.org/

Let's Get Healthy California - Healthy Beginnings
A healthy beginning sets the stage for health and well-being for a person’s entire life. These indicators represent important dimensions of children’s health and well-being from infancy through the teenage years.
https://letsgethealthy.ca.gov/goals/healthy-beginnings/

Maternal Infant and Health Assessment Survey
The Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program of the California Department of Public Health surveys mothers who have recently given birth in California.
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CFH/DMCAH/MIHA/Pages/Data-and-Reports.aspx 

Peristats
The March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center provides access to maternal and infant health data for the United States, state, or region.
http://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/Peristats.aspx

Population Data, EPI Center, California Department of Public Health
Official state population estimates and projections through 2040 published by the Department of Finance are available through this query tool at the Department of Public Health. Useful for population counts by county, year, age, sex, and race/ethnicity.
http://epicenter.cdph.ca.gov/ReportMenus/PopulationTable.aspx

State of Babies Yearbook
The yearbook compares national and state-by-state data on the well-being of infants and toddlers. Project of Zero to Three.
https://stateofbabies.org/

California Strong Start Index
The California Strong Start Index measures the resources babies have at birth across the state so supports and services can be allocated more equitably. Project of the Children's Data Network and First 5 Association of California.
http://www.strongstartindex.org/

United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau collects data on children through multiple surveys and the decennial census.

EVALUATION REFERENCE DOCUMENTS – FIRST 5 CALIFORNIA

 

Evaluation Toolkit

The Evaluation Toolkit provides online resources to assist with program evaluation. The tools include general evaluation resources, logic model and theory of change development, surveys and questionnaires, introductory statistics, data management and statistical software, and data sources and information.

For evaluation information related to First 5 annual reporting, please see the Annual Report section of the Data Systems webpage.

General Resources

  • Basic Guide to Outcomes-Based Evaluation for Nonprofit Organizations with Very Limited Resources*

    • Basic guidance is provided and is particularly useful for small nonprofits with very limited resources.
    http://managementhelp.org/evaluation/outcomes-evaluation-guide.htm

  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Program Performance and Evaluation Office (PPEO)-Program Evaluation

    • The CDC Program Performance and Evaluation Office offers evaluation resources related to logic models, data collection methods and sources, and evaluation of specific types of programs or interventions.
    http://www.cdc.gov/eval/resources/index.htm

  • Program Development and Evaluation, Planning a Program Evaluation, University of Wisconsin-Extension
    • Information to help plan program evaluation. It is organized into four major sections: focusing the evaluation, collecting the information, using the information, and managing the evaluation.
    http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/G3658-1.PDF
     
  • Project STAR, Study Designs for Program Evaluation
    • An overview of the types of program evaluation is provided. It also helps determine which type of evaluation is appropriate to address your needs and. potential problems that can affect your conclusions.
    http://www.pacenterofexcellence.pitt.edu/documents/Study_Designs_for_Evaluation.pdf

Program Effectiveness Reviews

  • PEW Charitable Trusts, Results First Clearinghouse Database

    • This one-stop online resource provides an easy way to find information on the effectiveness of various interventions as rated by eight national research clearinghouses. Policy areas include adult criminal justice, child welfare, pre-K-12 education, health, juvenile justice, mental health, substance abuse, and youth development.
    http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/multimedia/data-visualizations/2015/results-first-clearinghouse-database

  • The Smart Start Resource Guide of Evidence-Based and Evidence-Informed Programs and Practices

    • This guide compiles the evidence basis for key activities of North Carolina’s Smart Start including, early care and education quality initiatives, child care subsidy, family support, early literacy, and health initiatives.
    https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/ECC/SmartStartEBEI_Guide1.pdf

  • Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness

    • The Department of Health and Human Services launched the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) review to provide an assessment of home visiting program models that target families with pregnant women and children from birth to kindergarten entry.
    http://homvee.acf.hhs.gov/

  • Compendium of Evidenced-Based Parenting Interventions

    • The compendium of parenting interventions was commissioned by an interagency group of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to identify evidence-based parenting interventions most likely to be effective with families of young children.
    http://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2015/11/introducing-a-compendium-of-evidenced-based-parenting-interventions

Logic Models and Theory of Change

Logic Models

Survey Questionnaires

Online Survey Providers

This list is provided for informational purposes only. By providing this list, First 5 California does not endorse in any manner the vendors listed below.

Statistics

Statistical Computing Software (Freeware)