From Compliance to Decision Support: What We Heard at the CIID Part C Data Summit

The CIID Part C Data Summit brought together state leaders, data managers, and program experts to explore one central question: How can Part C Lead Agencies build data systems that do more than support reporting requirements?

While attendees represented Lead Agencies with a wide range of governance structures, technology environments, and levels of data maturity, a consistent message emerged throughout the Summit. States are ready to move beyond fragmented, compliance-driven data systems and toward integrated data ecosystems that can answer critical questions to support better decisions, stronger services, and improved outcomes for children and families.

A Common Challenge: Fragmented Systems 

Across nearly every discussion, participants described challenges associated with disconnected data systems. Whether the gap existed between Part C and Part B programs, service and fiscal data, or state and local systems, fragmentation remains one of the most significant barriers to understanding program performance. 

Many states have developed creative workarounds, but participants consistently noted that spreadsheets, manual processes, and siloed data systems make it difficult to collect high quality data to answer even basic operational questions. 

The Shift from Reporting to Learning 

Federal reporting requirements remain an essential part of Part C data systems. However, Summit participants repeatedly emphasized a desire to use data for more than compliance. 

States want to understand which referral pathways are most effective, where children may be lost in the service pipeline, whether planned services are being delivered, and how services connect to child and family outcomes. 

The conversation reflected a broader shift from collecting data for accountability toward using data for continuous improvement. 

Data Quality, Not More Data 

One of the strongest themes of the Summit was that states are not asking for more data. Instead, they are asking for better data. 

Participants highlighted the need for timely information, consistent data entry practices, improved data quality, and stronger documentation. The challenge is often not the absence of data but the difficulty of transforming existing information into reliable, actionable insights. 

Building Toward Integrated Data Ecosystems 

Looking ahead, participants described a shared vision for the future: integrated systems that connect referrals, services, outcomes, and funding information; dashboards that support decision-making; and data-sharing approaches that follow children across programs and over time. 

Achieving that vision will require investments in infrastructure, governance, and implementation support. It will also require collaboration across agencies, programs, and states. 

The Summit reinforced that while every state's journey looks different, the destination is remarkably similar: data systems that help leaders make better decisions, providers deliver better services, and families experience more coordinated support. 

As CIID continues its work in Part C, these conversations will help shape future tools, technical assistance, and opportunities for peer learning. The message from states was clear: the future is not simply collecting more data—it is connecting data in ways that drive action.