Center on the Developing Child

Center on the Developing Child
Name	Center on the Developing Child
Formation	2003
Headquarters	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Parent organization	Harvard University

Center on the Developing Child The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University is a research and policy hub focused on early childhood development, translating science into practice for broad public impact. It connects findings from neuroscience, developmental psychology, pediatrics and public policy to inform programs, systems and investments affecting young children and families. The Center operates within a network of academic, philanthropic and service institutions to advance scalable solutions.

History

The Center on the Developing Child was established in 2003 at Harvard University amid growing attention to early brain development catalyzed by work from researchers linked to Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania. Early collaborators and advisors included scholars associated with National Institutes of Health, National Academy of Sciences, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, and Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Center's formative years coincided with national initiatives such as the Head Start reauthorization debates and the expansion of evidence-based home visiting modeled on research from David Olds and colleagues at University of Colorado Denver. Over time the Center forged ties with policy actors in the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, engaged with state governments like Massachusetts and California, and contributed to international dialogues hosted by organizations such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund.

Mission and Goals

The Center's mission aligns scientific evidence from laboratories at institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Michigan, McGill University, and Karolinska Institutet with actionable strategies for practitioners connected to Pew Charitable Trusts, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Core goals include promoting healthy brain architecture informed by the work of researchers linked to Eric Kandel, Catherine Cox, and teams publishing in outlets such as Nature, Science, and The Lancet. The Center aims to support cross-sector systems — health, child welfare, early learning, and family services — referenced by stakeholders in U.S. Congress deliberations and state legislatures, while collaborating with municipal leaders from cities like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston.

Research and Publications

The Center produces policy briefs, technical guides and syntheses drawing on studies from labs and clinical centers including National Institute of Mental Health, Salk Institute, Broad Institute, and universities such as Duke University and University of Oxford. Its publications interpret findings on stress physiology, toxic stress, and self-regulation derived from researchers such as Bruce McEwen, Jack Shonkoff, and teams publishing in journals like Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, JAMA, and Child Development. Reports often reference longitudinal cohorts like the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study and intervention trials comparable to studies by James Heckman and programs evaluated by Mathematica Policy Research. The Center's framing of "serve and return" interactions echoes experimental paradigms used by laboratories at University of California, San Diego and Princeton University and is disseminated through partnerships with media outlets and advocacy groups including NPR, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

Programs and Initiatives

Initiatives launched or supported by the Center intersect with implementation partners such as Save the Children, Zero to Three, Southern Cross University, and Communities In Schools. Programs emphasize workforce development, measurement, and scaling of interventions similar to models from Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Family Check-Up. The Center has developed toolkits and training curricula used by state agencies in Minnesota, county systems in King County, Washington, and nonprofit consortia including Children's Defense Fund affiliates. Pilot initiatives have leveraged data strategies and measurement frameworks akin to those promoted by Results for America and tools developed by Urban Institute researchers.

Policy and Advocacy

The Center influences policy debates through testimony, white papers, and briefings delivered to bodies such as U.S. Congress, state legislatures, and international forums like UNICEF conferences. It advises policymakers drawing on comparative policy research from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and health systems analyses from World Bank publications. Advocacy collaborations include coalitions with First Five Years Fund, Save the Children, and civil society groups that engage leaders such as former President Barack Obama administration advisors and state governors. The Center's evidence translation informs workforce, financing and service-delivery proposals debated alongside programs like Medicaid and federal family leave initiatives.

Partnerships and Funding

The Center's funding and partnerships span foundations, universities and government agencies, including long-term support from MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Academic collaborations involve institutions like Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Yale Child Study Center, and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Implementation partners include United Way Worldwide, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and state agencies in Massachusetts and California. The Center also engages evaluators and funders such as Abt Associates, RAND Corporation, and philanthropic entities including Gates Foundation grantees to measure outcomes and scale promising practices.

Category:Harvard University