Early Childhood Web Resource User Experience

Project Overview

The Texas Workforce Commission contracted with the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing (TXICFW) to conduct the Texas Early Childhood Web Resource User Experience project. The TXICFW team will conduct focus groups, user experience research, and user acceptance testing. Results will be analyzed and used to develop an eligibility screener and update two consumer information websites: the Child Care Portal (CC) and Early Childhood Texas (ECT).

Project Purpose & Design

As a part of the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five renewal, Texas developed a statewide comprehensive early learning strategic plan. The 2024-2026 Texas Early Learning Strategic Plan identified a set of strategies and actions related to family navigation, access, and engagement with early learning services, programs, and resources. These strategies included developing a common eligibility screener for Early Head Start, Head Start, Public Prekindergarten, and child care scholarships, along with updating existing online resources for families.

As a part of this work, the TXICFW team will:

• Conduct and analyze up to four virtual user experience research focus groups with stakeholders. Participants will include parents, childcare providers, and staff of Local Workforce Development Boards, local education agencies, and Head Start/Early Head Start staff.
• Coordinate and analyze feedback from stakeholders following up to nine CCP and ECT web and prototype demonstrations.
• Develop and submit to TWC an interim summary of findings from the focus groups and a final report of stakeholder user experience on the CCP and ECT resources.