Despite improved data collection and monitoring efforts, data on very young children (ages zero to three) remain hard to access (OECD, 2006). These gaps in knowledge about young children undermine policy making in the ECEC field, and have implications not only for international comparability but also for national issues, such as child protection (OECD, 2006). For example, financial tracking and monitoring can help inform planning, contribute to more efficient resource allocation and increase cost-effectiveness (Bennett, 2002). Monitoring practices and collection of data can provide feedback on what works and help identify areas of improvement. For example, in New Jersey, the introduction of a quality rating score allowed practitioners and management to improve their practices, and statistically significant effects were found on children’s literacy skills (Figure 5.1) (Frede et al.,