Prof. Ha Selected to Lead National Effort to Improve Data Systems in Early Childhood Care & Education
Yoonsook Ha of BU School of Social Work has been selected to serve as a subject-matter expert facilitator for one of the research collaboratives created under the new Child Care and Early Education Policy Research Consortium (CCEEPRC) which was established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) to address imminent policy questions surrounding early care and education.
The CCEEPRC research collaboratives, which are composed of content experts from across the country, focus on six topical areas. Ha, an expert on data in early care and education research, will lead the Early Childhood Data System and Application Research Collaborative which focuses on various types of state-level early childhood and education data systems. As the leading expert of the group, she will investigate the current state of the state data system, identify data sources and data linking strategies, and identify innovative research methods that answer key policy questions. She will also work to re-conceptualize the integrated data framework in the early care and education field to address current challenges and opportunities relating to COVID-19. Her leadership will have an impact on data systems and data science across the field.
Yoonsook Ha, PhD, is an associate professor and social welfare policy coordinator at BU School of Social Work. Through her research, she aims to uncover gaps in social policies that impact low-income families. Her work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and her research has been supported by numerous organizations, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families.