Measuring state-level infant and toddler well-being in the United States: Gaps in data lead to gaps in understanding

Children who are nurtured, protected, and supported in the first years of life tend to have better individual outcomes and are more likely to grow to become healthy, productive adults. Child well-being varies across states, yet the field lacks a comprehensive review of infant and toddler indicators measured at the state-level. This paper reviews indicators of well-being from the prenatal period to three years that meet certain a priori criteria. Most of the child-level indicators identified were in the physical health domain; relatively fewer indicators were found in the early cognition and language or social-emotional-behavioral domains. While some states are making progress toward developing integrated early childhood data systems, more work is needed to provide robust data on infant and toddler development. These results highlight the need to develop a broader range of indicators of infant and toddler well-being and improve measurement sources to better inform policies and programs advancing population health.