Three young children playing at a table

Early care and education provide a strong foundation for children's academic success and overall well-being. This focus area has been central to the work of the Institute since its founding more than 50 years ago. One of FPG's first and most influential projects was a longitudinal study of the effectiveness of an early care and education intervention for children from low-income households. This work continues today with research on closing the achievement gap and providing support for dual language learners.

Featured Publication

The number of children attending prekindergarten (pre-K) in public elementary schools has substantially increased in the last two decades. FPG researchers contributed to a recent study that examines the association between school-level characteristics and pre-K achievement.

Featured Project

FPG investigators are conducting an independent, unbiased evaluation of the MECK Pre-K program that will be longitudinal in scope, tracking cohorts of MECK Pre-K students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools through 5th grade. The focus of that evaluation will cover three key areas: program characteristics, program implementation, and quality student outcomes.

Featured FPG News Story

A new report from researchers at FPG indicates that children who attend Georgia’s pre-K program achieve expected or greater-than-expected gains in language and literacy skills, largely due to intentional teaching strategies and nurturing classroom environments.

Current Projects

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Center For Home-Based Child Care Research
In partnership with the Erikson Institute, the University of Delaware, the Indigo Cultural Center, and the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), the Equity Research Action Coalition at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute will establish a Center for Home-based Child Care Research to support research about home-based child care (HBCC) in states, territories, tribes, and/or local community contexts through a cooperative agreement with OPRE. The purpose of the Center is to provide leadership, build research capacity in the field, and offer support in the development and facilitation of local research to improve understanding of HBCC settings and providers and access by the families who seek and utilize HBCC.
Convening Security
The Equity Research Action Coalition conducts research in the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at housed at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. The Coalition will convene researchers, policy makers, and practitioners for a one-day summit on June 18, 2026. We have used the Childhood Opportunity Index and databases connected to early learning options statewide to identify counties where children have the greatest needs. Centering children rather than geographic regions means this summit will bring together individuals with widely varying views.
Meck Pre-K Program Evaluation
This project intends to conduct an independent, unbiased evaluation of the MECK Pre-K program that will be longitudinal in scope, tracking cohorts of MECK Pre-K students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools through 5th grade. Given the longitudinal nature of the evaluation and the need to track multiple cohorts, it is expected that this project will span 10 years. The focus of that evaluation will cover three key areas: program characteristics; program implementation and quality; and student outcomes.
National Evaluation Partner for the Educare Learning Network Implementation Study
This project consists of planning and implementing an evaluation of The Educare Learning Network, a consortium of programs nationwide providing high quality learning environments for at-risk children from birth to 5 years. The evaluation will document the features of Educare and how implementation of the model contributes to program quality and links to child and family outcomes.
Partnership to Build Teacher Capacity to Promote Language Learning in Infants and Toddlers with and at Risk for Disabilities
This project brings together six Educare Early Learning Network schools and collaborating local evaluation partners (LEPs), UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, and the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at the University of Kansas in partnership to demonstrate the efficacy of implementing PC TALK, an early language intervention, to support the language learning of infants and young children with and at risk for disabilities. Designed to build the capacity of early educators and parents to promote communication opportunities and the development of infants and young children, the Promoting Communication Strategies will be embedded into randomly selected Educare classrooms across participating schools.
Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Support and Supplement Study
This project will implement the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Support and Supplement Study in North Carolina, which is designed to assist early childhood providers in navigating the state’s newly modernized QRIS pathways. The initiative targets Family Child Care Homes, Centers Located in a Residence, and small centers serving 50 or fewer children, with a focus on rural counties and child care deserts.
STEMIE 2.0
This project's purpose is to expand the knowledge on the practices and supports necessary to improve access and participation within STEM learning opportunities for young children with disabilities and intersecting identities.
Understanding Mental and Behavioral Health in Head Start
The purpose of this project, in partnership with Mathematica-MPR, is to understand the landscape of program structures and supports for mental and behavioral health in Early Head Start/Head Start for children, families, and staff. To accomplish this, efforts will include engagement with experts; conceptual model development; study design and measurement development; data collection and analysis; dissemination of findings; and archiving data.