Many families and workers in New Hampshire rely on the early care and education (ECE) sector, but little is collectively known about how this system operates. Dr. Jess Carson, director for Carsey's Center for Social Policy in Practice (SPiP), and Dr. Evan England, research assistant professor at SPiP, discussed the complexity of this field and shared a new data-driven vision to bring together ECE stakeholders. This Carsey Policy Hour heralded the launch of the NH ECE Research Consortium, which is housed at SPiP and provides spaces for researchers and other stakeholders to convene for ECE collaboration.
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View the presentation: Gaining Insights into New Hampshire’s Early Care and Education Landscape
Jess Carson studies how policy affects people, focusing on how legislative and administrative decisions shape access to resources available through work, the social safety net, and community settings. She has particular interest in the structural issues surrounding access to early childhood care and education, the multi-dimensional nature of food access, and in measuring how policy and program effects vary within and across rural places. Jess’s work is applied in nature, and she is passionate about helping nonprofit partners get the data they need to continue their good work. She has a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of New Hampshire and has lived in the Granite State every minute of her life.
Evan England joined the Carsey School in 2024 after completing their Ph.D. in sociology. With their focus on social inequality and health equity, Evan has developed relationships with many local, statewide, and regional partners to evaluate and improve access to and experiences within health care and in broader New Hampshire communities. Also, in addition to completing their undergraduate and graduate studies at UNH, they served the UNH Institute on Disability as Program Coordinator and Evaluator for the NH Disability and Health Program, and they have experience as a health care administrator. Evan enjoys exploring both the woodland areas near their home in Rollinsford, New Hampshire and the natural beauty of the seacoast.
