The early care and education research field has experienced an eventful — sometimes tumultuous —  year, placing it repeatedly in the spotlight. While some states such as New Mexico forged bold solutions to child care’s rising unaffordability, others responded to federal budget pressures by cutting or freezing their child care programs, or walking back the very regulations meant to keep kids safe. When Head Start’s federal grant disbursements were slowed or frozen, the 60-year-old early education program for low-income families suffered a severe, existential threat. Meanwhile, as the sector continues to reel from the staffing shortages and high turnover rates that have haunted child care since the pandemic, heightened immigration enforcement activity is sending chills through the field’s workforce, which is nearly 20% foreign born. Through these challenges, some child care providers have found themselves becoming involved with advocacy efforts to bring about change, with some even running for office.

Amid these developments — some amazing research and resources have emerged for the field. As the year comes to a close, zero2eight asked early care and education experts to share what they consider to be the sector’s must-read research of 2025. What emerged from their responses were a collection of reports, studies and data tools relevant to a number of urgent themes. These include the sector’s ability to respond to current events, new ways of thinking about preschool gains and economic analysis of some of the ongoing challenges facing the early care and education workforce.

Here are some of the themes, studies and resources identified by the field’s insiders as essential to moving the sector forward.

1. Timely Research and Resources for Challenging Times

Steeply rising costs, dwindling federal child care funds, and an aggressive federal immigration crackdown have all contributed to a challenging, fast-changing landscape for families and early educators, many of whom are immigrants and reliant on public benefits. The following new research and tools offer timely insights into how such pressures are reshaping families’ lives and the early care and education sector, with some offering inspiration for how to respond.

Read the full article about early care and education research in 2025 by Kendra Hurley at The 74.