For over 120 years, we’ve been a foundation for building better lives for young children. We identify needs and fill gaps by connecting research to changes that continuously improve policy and practice. The Foundation for Child Development provides the evidence, analysis and recommendations needed to implement early childhood systems that work for all children.
We fill gaps in knowledge. We identify areas of child well-being and development where there is little to no research, and provide funding to fill those gaps and build new fields of knowledge.
We influence policy. We think strategically about how policy can be leveraged to positively affect children’s lives and ask essential questions: What is not on the agenda that should be? Are there better ways to support children and families? What additional research is needed to deepen our understanding of their needs? Our research, combined with targeted communications, subsequently help policymakers understand the implications of key policies and enable them to make informed decisions.