Dear I2D2 community,

In the season of giving thanks, we want to share gratitude for our many amazing partners and supporters. The original vision for I2D2 was to support young children and their families by working collaboratively across Early Childhood Iowa’s broad alliance to identify priority areas that are most relevant for Iowa families, break down data silos among our service systems, and generate actionable intelligence capable of informing state and local decision-making. Realizing this vision is no small feat, and not one that can be done in isolation. We are humbled by the tireless contributions of agency partners, community leaders, families, and advocates that have been instrumental in helping to build and use I2D2 for common good. So today we want to say thank you.

Thank you to the ECI State Board and Agency Directors for providing the support and recommendations that drive our priorities and ensure the sustainability of our system. Each year since we became operational in 2019 we have been able to grow the system, become more responsive to state and local needs, and generate more evidence in support of early childhood programming. We know that kind of growth takes exceptional leadership that recognizes the value of quality, integrated data, and making strategic investments in systems building to ensure a solid foundation on which to grow.

Thank you to the leaders in home visiting and family support, child care policy, public health, and workforce development who have engaged with us in analytic projects to inform strategic planning and program improvement. Their investments of time and funding have not only helped provide insights on key challenges and opportunities, but the iterative nature of our I2D2 system that includes their staff experts at the table has also helped us continuously improve what we are doing. We are proud of the fact that I2D2 has become a national model for integrated data system solutions, and we know that is because of the collective engagement of our partners.

Thank you to the Iowa families and service system providers (e.g., child care, home visitors, teachers) that provide routine feedback about how our programs are doing and what we can do to better serve children in our state. Thousands of responses every year on surveys, through focus groups, and within community meetings like the ECI Stakeholder Alliance help us better tune in to the highest priorities. We appreciate your courage and commitment that helps us keep our focus on what is most important.

Thank you to the local area ECI directors, home visiting program leaders, Head Start Directors, and child care leaders for spending your time helping shape our capacity to provide more relevant local data for community planning. Our constantly evolving IA Data Drive tool would not exist without your help and input. We are excited to see this continue to grow in the next year as we expand indicators and reporting functions to better meet your needs.

Thank you to our national partners who provide consultation and connect us with others who are doing similar work so we can maintain best practice and share what we have learned so others can benefit. We are especially grateful for the Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy Network for their tireless pursuit and support of IDS best practice, and the Administration for Children and Families in their recognition and dissemination of our I2D2 case study as a national model. We stand on the shoulders of giants who came before us and are grateful for the opportunities to pass on what we have learned to benefit others.

Thank you to our Iowa State University leadership and academic colleagues for providing fertile ground and a solid reputation on which to build I2D2. The state-university partnership model we established with I2D2 would not be possible without the trust and support of our leadership, the scientific expertise of our faculty and students, and the exceptional efforts from university staff that help us maintain our operations. We are grateful that you share our belief in the value of this partnership as it squarely sits in our land-grant university purpose to provide rigorous science and educational resources that improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities within the state.

Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has believed in our vision, challenged us to do better, shared in our celebrations, and trusted us with your partnership. We are grateful for how far we have come to help advance stronger systems supporting children and families and look forward to the opportunities our next year will bring. Young children and their families have been especially challenged in the wake of the pandemic, but we are committed to staying the course with you, asking hard questions, testing new solutions, and using data to inform decisions that will strengthen their future.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,