Thursday, November 14
12:30 – 1:30 PM
Virtual
This virtual policy briefing addressed the critical intersection between early childhood education and the child welfare system. It highlighted the impact of educational access on child development, the role of early education in mitigating adverse childhood experiences, and the importance of collaboration between policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to address systemic inequities that negatively impact child well-being. Panelists also explored how poverty-related issues, like inadequate resources leading to conditions misinterpreted as neglect, result in unnecessary child protection interventions. The briefing also identifed the positive impacts of supportive programs for children involved in the welfare system.
- Judge Darrell Missey, Director of Children’s Division, Missouri Department of Social Services
- Ellicia Lanier, Founder and Executive Director, Urban Sprouts Child Development Center
- Katherine Magnuson, PhD, Professor and Director of the Institute for Research on Poverty, Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison and AASWSW Fellow
- Moderated by Gary Parker, PhD, Associate Dean for External Affairs and Director of the Clark-Fox Policy Institute, Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis
Since 2020, a broad array of experts, stakeholders, and people with lived experience have been working collaboratively to develop the 21st Century Research Agenda, which identifies research gaps in community-based family support, child welfare, and early childhood education. This policy briefing examined the intersection between the 21st Century Research Agenda and policy change.
This event was sponsored by the American Academy for Social Work and Social Welfare with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, Clark-Fox Policy Institute, Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy, and the William T. Grant Foundation.