A to Z Child and Family Policy Site List

The following list of 15 research-based policy sites, representing the political spectrum, was selected by faculty from Tufts University, using criteria (e.g., peer-reviewed research, references, user-friendly format, brief summaries) adapted from the Child & Family WebGuide.

CATO Institute

Covers: child care; federal education policy; higher education; preschool; school choice; teachers unions; school vouchers; tax credits; and standards, curriculum and testing.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Covers welfare reform/TANF, health (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP), WIC, SSI, low-income housing, low-income tax credits and many other policy areas.  Focus on state as well as federal policy.

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

Covers these main areas: child care and early education; child support and fathers; child welfare; childbearing and pregnancy and prevention; disconnected youth; postsecondary education and training.

Child Care and Early Education Research Connections

Covers a very wide range of topics including: abuse prevention, academic achievement; adolescent development; after school programs; day care; early Head Start; Early Intervention; school readiness; health care and many more.

Child Trends Data Bank

Major areas covered are: health; social and emotional development; income, assets and work; education and skills; demographics; and family and community.

Childcare Resource and Research Unit, University of Toronto

Covers all aspects of child care, with a focus on Canada but also including the U.S.

Family Impact, University of Wisconsin Extension

Aimed at state policy issues, covering:  welfare reform; family poverty/economic security; teen pregnancy; strengthening families/parenting; child care and early education; families and schools; family health issues; child abuse/family and youth violence; and family service issues.

Future of Children

The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution produce this journal. Two issues are published each year, with the most recent topics including:  school readiness; children of immigrant families; foster care; health insurance; gun violence; welfare reform; and caring for infants and toddlers.  All journal issues are archived and available online.

Heritage Foundation 

Covers education issues including: No Child Left Behind; charter schools; Head Start; education reform. Covers family issues including: marriage; sex education; domestic violence; abortion.

National Governors Association

NGA’s Center for Best Practices covers: education (school readiness, school health, high schools, higher education, No Child Left Behind, higher education, teacher quality, education reform); and social, economic & workforce programs (child and family services, family formation, low-income working families).

National Institute for Early Education Research, Rutgers University

NIEER publishes Preschool Policy Matters, a set of research briefs.  Coverage includes: class size; preschool attendance; outcomes and assessment; Head Start teachers.  Also presents fact sheets on some of these issues.

National Research Center for Women and Families

Covers: women’s health; children and teens; and work, family, disabilities and Social Security. Children and teens topic areas include: health and mental health; and kids and violence.  Each topic area has many subtopics such as smoking, drugs, school violence, child abuse and media.

Society for Research in Child Development-Social Policy Reports

SRCD presents archived online issues of Social Policy Reports. Issues covered include:  preschool assessment; child care; interactive media; early intervention; kindergarten; emotional development and school readiness; welfare reform and its impact on children; healthy adolescent development; parental leave policies and many more.

Urban Institute

Urban Institute covers child care and development, child health, child welfare, economic well-being, Head Start, and elementary education.  Also covered are adolescent and youth development topics such as delinquency and crime, secondary education, and sexual attitudes and behavior.

Zero to Three

Public Policy Initiatives section under professional sites lists critical federal issues that impact the lives of babies and toddlers – Early Head Start, child care, early intervention, welfare, child welfare and infant mental health.

The Tufts University Child & Family WebGuide is funded by the William T. Grant Foundation.