Primary Department: Economic Equity and Opportunity
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Jie Wu, Interim Executive Director
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Transmittal
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): The RAND Corporation dba The RAND Policy Research Corporation
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Transmittal by the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity of When Counties Invest in Early Childhood Successes, Challenges, and Lessons from Harris County Report, prepared by The RAND Corporation d/b/a The RAND Policy Research Corporation regarding Harris County’s Early Childhood Impact Fund (ECIF) investments.
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Background and Discussion:
On October 27, 2020, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the Early Childhood Impact Fund (ECIF), an investment of up to $10 million in evidence-based programs and interventions with the potential to improve early childhood outcomes in Harris County. ECIF was designed to support promising, scalable approaches; strengthen the network of early childhood service providers; and generate evidence to guide future investments benefiting young children and their families.
On February 22, 2022, Commissioners Court approved funding for an initial portfolio of ECIF programs. The portfolio subsequently expanded to include initiatives addressing early literacy and brain development, infant and toddler well-being, home-based child care entrepreneurship, child care quality, early childhood nutrition, and supports for families and early childhood educators.
On February 21, 2023, Harris County entered into an agreement with The RAND Corporation d/b/a The RAND Policy Research Corporation to independently monitor and evaluate the short- and long-term impacts of ECIF-funded programs and interventions. RAND’s evaluation was designed to assess program implementation, reach, effectiveness, and outcomes while identifying lessons that could inform the sustainability and potential expansion of successful early childhood strategies.
The When Counties Invest in Early Childhood Successes, Challenges, and Lessons from Harris County Report, published in August 2026, presents RAND’s findings across the ECIF portfolio. The report examines ECIF’s implementation using program data, participant surveys, existing research, interviews, and focus groups. The six funded programs exceeded service targets, serving more than 30,000 children, 5,500 caregivers, and 8,500 early childhood professionals while reaching every high-poverty ZIP code in Harris County. RAND recommends streamlining County oversight, strengthening collaboration and sustainability planning, and investing in data infrastructure to measure long-term outcomes. The evaluation also provides Harris County with evidence-based recommendations regarding future program design, cross-sector coordination, sustainability, and investment in services for young children and families.
In summary, the report provides an independent assessment of Harris County’s ECIF investments and documents lessons that can inform future early childhood policy, program, and funding decisions.
Expected Impact:
Acceptance of the RAND evaluation report will provide Harris County Commissioners Court, early childhood stakeholders, service providers, and community members with independent information regarding the implementation and outcomes of the Early Childhood Impact Fund portfolio. The findings will support data-informed decisions concerning program improvement, sustainability, scalability, and future investments intended to strengthen outcomes for Harris County children and families.
Alternative Options:
This is a transmittal.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 3. Make our economy more inclusive.
County Strategic Plan Objective: K: Provide workers with training and other supports (e.g. child care) to participate fully in the local economy.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): K1: Advance child care quality and accessibility through workforce development programming and child care slots.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
The RAND evaluation will help Harris County identify effective and scalable strategies for improving early childhood outcomes, strengthening families, and supporting parents’ ability to participate in the local workforce.
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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1/20/23 |
225 |
Approved Advertisement |
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2/21/2023 |
523 |
Award |
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10/31/2023 |
297 |
First Amendment Approval |
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1/30/24 |
30 |
Second Amendment Approval |
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9/19/24 |
19 |
Third Amendment Approval |
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Precinct(s): Countywide
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Anticipated Court Date: 9/17/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department:
Jie Wu, Interim Executive Director, Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity;
Chris Darville, Ed.D., Interim Director of Early Childhood Initiatives, Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity.
Attachments (if applicable): When Counties Invest in Early Childhood Successes, Challenges, and Lessons from Harris County Report, August 2026.