Supported Families

Child Trends’ Early Childhood team understands that the well-being of children and their families are intertwined. We support the development of conditions and opportunities through which both parents/caregivers and children can thrive across a range of domains, including economic well-being; physical, behavioral, and relational health; parenting and family engagement; and resilience in the face of adversity. Our researchers focus on policies, programs, and practices that support families, such as home visiting, trauma-informed parenting support programs, Medicaid, WIC, and TANF. Our team has extensive expertise in researching the mechanisms through which adversity and family economic hardship impacts children’s immediate and long-term development, identifying and addressing barriers that prevent families from accessing needed supports, and evaluating programming and policies that aim to strengthen family supports and/or mitigate the impacts of poverty and adversity on child outcomes.