From May 1 to 4, 2017, CLASP staff members presented at the 2017 National Smart Start Conference in Greensboro, NC.

Christine Johnson-Staub, Stephanie Schmit, and Wendy Cervantes presented The Changing Federal Landscape for Young Children. In 2017, children and families will be directly impacted by federal policy and budget changes in child care and early education programs, health, nutrition, and other areas. Participants will hear an overview of the federal policy opportunities and challenges focusing on implications for racial equity, families in poverty, and immigrant families and discuss how advocates in states can take action.

Stephanie Schmit and Christine Johnson-Staub presentrf Finding and Using Data to Advocate for Children and Families. This presentation introduced participants to a range of state and federal data on young children and their families, including data on employment, nutrition, and income. Presenters demonstrated how to put various demographic information together to understand the state of children and families in their states and nationally, and how to merge this data with information on participation in state child care programs, Head Start, and other early education programs.