All Work
Early Childhood Education
Caring for Our Young Children
Dr. Katharine B. Stevens joins Traci DeVette Griggs of Family Policy Matters Radio to discuss the drivers of early brain development, how we can support families to help children thrive, and why this is a pivotal moment for early childhood policy.
Lessons On Education And Family From Nicaragua To Manhattan To DC
Katharine B. Stevens joins Emily Jashinsky on the Federalist Radio Hour to discuss the science and policy of early development. Is “public education starting at birth” the right policy approach in early childhood?
Does Daycare Destroy Dreams?
Dr. Katharine B. Stevens joins Saurabh Sharma on American Moment’s Moment of Truth to discuss child and family policy in the U.S. and what young children truly need to thrive.
5 Questions with Family Studies: Katharine Stevens on Family-Focused Child Care Policy
Katharine Stevens shares thoughts with the Institute on Family Studies on the “child care crisis,” what's missing from current early childhood debates, and the launch of CCFP.
Why I’m Founding CCFP
Dr. Katharine B. Stevens explains why she founded the Center on Child and Family Policy, the nation’s first think-tank dedicated to early childhood research and policy.
The Problem With Universal Pre-K
The recently stalled Build Back Better legislation contains $110 billion for universal pre-K for three and four-year-olds. But is a big investment in early childhood education necessary or beneficial for the academic and social development of American children?
The Role of Families in Human Flourishing: A Conversation with James Heckman
James Heckman joins Katharine Stevens for an in-depth discussion of his interdisciplinary research on human capital development and skill formation over the life cycle, the origins of inequality and social mobility, and the crucial role of families in children’s development.
The Role of Families in Human Flourishing: My Long-Read Q&A with James Heckman
James Heckman joins Katharine Stevens for an in-depth discussion of his interdisciplinary research on human capital development and skill formation over the life cycle, the origins of inequality and social mobility, and the crucial role of families in children’s development.
Improving Early Childhood Development by Allowing Advanced Child Tax Credits
Katharine Stevens and Matt Weidinger propose allowing parents to advance future child tax credits into the earliest years of their child’s life, strengthening families' ability to choose how and by whom their children are cared for during the formative first years of development.
Two Generations, One Future: Aligning State Systems for Family Success
Leaders from Ascend at the Aspen Institute join Katharine Stevens to discuss how their two-generation approach to improving social welfare programs aligns services around parents and their young children, helping build an intergenerational cycle of opportunity for families.
A Silver Lining: Family Engagement in a Post-Pandemic World
Four early childhood leaders join Katharine Stevens to discuss their vision for more effective program-family partnerships in a post-pandemic world.
Why I’m Holding an Event on ‘The Unintended Consequences of Universal Child Care’
High-quality childcare is essential for families who need it. But more thought and debate is needed around huge funding proposals with such serious implications for children's lives
The Role of Families in Human Flourishing: A Conversation with James Heckman
James Heckman joins Katharine Stevens for an in-depth discussion of his interdisciplinary research on human capital development and skill formation over the life cycle, the origins of inequality and social mobility, and the crucial role of families in children’s development.
Improving Early Childhood Development by Allowing Advanced Child Tax Credits
Katharine Stevens and Matt Weidinger propose allowing parents to advance future child tax credits into the earliest years of their child’s life, strengthening families' ability to choose how and by whom their children are cared for during the formative first years of development.
Universal Child Care: A Bad Deal for Kids?
Rather than seeking to outsource young children’s care to paid professionals, policy should aim to better enable parents to spend more time caring for their young children themselves, especially in the critical first five years of life.
Three Problems with President Biden's Child Care Rescue Plan
Biden’s American Rescue Plan constitutes a substantial scale-up of government spending on nonparental, out-of-home care for young children, which poses an unrecognized risk to the well-being of children and families.
Taking Stock of a Half-Century of Failed Education Reform
Our excessive focus on schooling — rather than the non-school environments that most powerfully shape children’s lives — continues to hurt the very children we are trying so hard to help.
Helping New Families Flourish — Interview with Dr. Judith Van Ginkel
Dr. Judith Van Ginkel, president of Every Child Succeeds in Cincinnati, Ohio, joins Katharine Stevens to explain how her organization uses home visits to ensure that vulnerable parents can provide a safe home where their children can thrive.
Practical Perspectives on “A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty”
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently released a report, “A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty,” describing two packages of federal policies aiming to cut US child poverty by half within a decade. An expert panel joins Katharine Stevens to discuss the realistic prospects for the report’s proposals to improve children’s lives.
What This Viral Video Shows Us About Early Development and Fatherhood
DJ Pryor’s two-minute viral video effectively highlights the profound importance of the day-in-day-out interactions that build strong relationships and strong brains.