3Si Releases Free Online Tool to Enhance Early Childhood Research & Policymaking

The publicly available tool, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, allows users to estimate demand and eligibility for early childhood services down to the county level.

SEATTLE, April 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers and policymakers in the early childhood sector have a new resource to analyze the need for services and how to meet it. 3Si, the leading provider of Early Childhood Integrated Data Systems (ECIDS), announced today that it is releasing a public version of their Child Universal Success Platform (CUSP) called CUSP Public.

5 states (CA, WA, GA, WY, and MA) currently use CUSP's detailed population estimates to help inform their policy and planning. CUSP Public adapts those estimates for public consumption so anyone can explore questions such as:

• How many children of a particular age and income level live in my state/county?
  
  
• How many children are eligible for a particular program or combination of programs?
  
  
• How would a change to eligibility requirements affect the size of the program-eligible population?
  
  
• How would children of different races and ethnicities be affected by changes to eligibility requirements?

Public population estimates often lack one or more key dimensions (e.g., household income) required to model eligibility for early childhood services. By connecting and augmenting US Census data, CUSP Public creates a coherent picture of eligibility for programs such as Head Start, public Pre-K, and subsidized private child care. "A key 3Si best practice is to ask and understand foundational questions first, regardless of which questions are easier to answer with available data," says 3Si's CEO Chris Strausz-Clark. "In addition to helping policymakers use program data to better serve kids already enrolled in care, we think it's critical to shine a light on kids in need who aren't served at all. Having seen the successes of our state clients, we believe CUSP Public can help bring that larger picture into focus at a national level."

About 3Si

3Si is the SaaS software company behind CUSP, the most popular ECIDS (Early Childhood Integrated Data System) in the United States. To learn more about 3Si and how CUSP powers service planning for >20% of the nation's children ages 0-5, visit www.team3si.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Will McCoy
VP, Strategic Partnerships
[email protected]

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SOURCE Third Sector Intelligence: 3Si