Cape Cod Commission launches early education and childcare needs assessment 

Building the foundation for improved access to services 

Supported by $200,000 in state funding, the Cape Cod Commission (Commission) is collaborating with Barnstable County and the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy to conduct a survey-based needs assessment related to early education and childcare on Cape Cod and the Islands. 

Communities throughout the region have long contended with underlying challenges related to the provision of quality, affordable childcare and early education services. While these challenges have immediate effects within the childcare and early education industries, they also threaten broader repercussions for the region’s economic recovery and the economic status of women, children, and families. 

The Commission is issuing two surveys. One is seeking information from families with children aged five and under, and the other is seeking input from childcare providers. Both surveys are available online in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. In addition, paper copies of the family survey will be available at select public libraries throughout Cape Cod and the Islands. 

“Ensuring families on Cape Cod and the Islands have access to quality and affordable early education and childcare is critical to our local economy,” says Kristy Senatori, Cape Cod Commission Executive Director. “The data and information from these surveys will inform a framework for action to support our region's families and workforce.” 

The research will culminate in a report detailing existing levels of provision and needs, identifying gaps in services, and exploring potential strategies for mitigating gaps in services, providing a baseline and recommendations for improving the accessibility of services in the region.  

For more information and to take either survey, please visit www.capecodcommission.org/eec.