Frequently Asked Questions
This page contains answers to the following questions:
How frequently is the dashboard updated?
Why does the dashboard focus on children under age 5?
How do I find which Ready Region my locality is in?
How do I see information for multiple localities at the same time?
Can I directly compare localities or Ready Regions on the dashboard?
What does demand mean?
Does estimated ECCE capacity represent the number of children under 5 receiving ECCE services?
Why isn’t the price of ECCE services data showing for my selection?
Where can I find information about the quality of ECCE services?
Can I see all the data underlying the dashboard?
Can I use the dashboard on my own website?
How has the content in the dashboard changed over time?
Have a question that is not covered here? Please contact Becky Tippett at becky@vecf.org.
How frequently is the dashboard updated?
The dashboard is updated once a year, typically in late winter (February/March). The date the dashboard was last updated is in the bottom right corner of the front page of the dashboard (the Overview page).
Why does the dashboard focus on children under age 5?
The Ready Regions ECCE Supply/Demand Dashboard focuses on children under age 5 as most of these children are not yet age-eligible for kindergarten and comprise the bulk of the demand for ECCE services.
How do I find which Ready Region my locality is in?
There are two ways to identify your locality’s Ready Region:
- Click on the “Ready Regions” tab in the dashboard. This displays a map of Virginia with all localities and Ready Regions.
- On any of the data pages, use the Select Locality/Localities filter to choose your locality by unchecking “(All)” and then selecting the locality of interest. This will automatically populate your locality’s Ready Region in the Ready Region filter.
How do I see information for multiple localities at the same time?
The dashboard can be used to explore data for a single locality or for multiple localities. To see information for multiple localities, use the Select Locality/Localities filter. Uncheck “All” and then select the localities of interest from the list. The dashboard will automatically filter all the graphics to show data for just the selected localities.
Can I directly compare localities or Ready Regions on the dashboard?
The dashboard does not provide any graphics that directly compare localities or Ready Regions. To look across localities or Ready Regions, visit the Data Resources page to download an Excel file that contains all data points in the VECF Ready Regions ECCE Supply/Demand Dashboard for Virginia, each of the nine Ready Regions, and all 133 localities in the state.
What does demand mean?
There is no direct way of measuring how many families and children need and want care. For example, parents or another family member may be caring for children, or parents may have access to parental leave through work. Instead, the dashboard presents a variety of possible measures for demand, such as income eligibility for publicly funded ECCE or having all available parents working or all children under age 5. This helps to show the range of potential demand for ECCE services.
Does estimated ECCE capacity represent the number of children under 5 receiving ECCE services?
No. Estimated ECCE capacity represents the licensed capacity at providers licensed to serve children under the age of 5. This represents the maximum potential capacity at these sites. Most sites have an operational capacity that is significantly lower than the licensed capacity. For example, recent Virginia research indicated that providers’ current capacity was, on average, 74% of their authorized capacity. Additionally, many of these sites are also licensed to serve school-aged children, meaning that not all of the site’s capacity is available to serve children under age 5.
Why isn’t the price of ECCE services data showing for my selection?
Data on the price of ECCE services is suppressed if there are fewer than 10 classrooms that meet the filter criteria. This helps to protect the privacy of individual ECCE sites and ensures more reliable data for analysis. If data is not available for your selected locality, consider adding neighboring localities to increase the number of classrooms.
Where can I find information about the quality of ECCE services?
Information about ECCE quality is available through Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5).
Can I see all the data underlying the dashboard?
Yes. Visit the Data Resources page to download an Excel file that contains all data points in the VECF Ready Regions ECCE Supply/Demand Dashboard for Virginia, each of the nine Ready Regions, and all 133 localities in the state.
Can I use the dashboard on my own website?
Yes. To embed or link the dashboard on your own website, please click the Share button in the bottom right corner of the dashboard.
How has the content in the dashboard changed over time?
The dashboard release notes highlight key changes to the dashboard over time.
