Earlier this year, the American Institutes for Research published a practical guide to estimating the true costs of early childhood education programs, designed to support stronger policy and funding decisions. Understanding the real cost of early childhood education is essential for shaping effective policies and sustainable funding strategies.  

This toolkit highlights proven approaches to conducting early childhood cost studies, helping users navigate common challenges and apply consistent, research-based methods. The toolkit also provides key best practices across study design, data collection, analysis, and reporting to help improve cost modeling efforts.