CCFP Career Series Explores Professional Directions of Alumni
Join us on January 28 to hear from graduates of the Child Policy Research Certificate program as they share their experiences and career insights.
Our Mission
The Center for Child and Family Policy is dedicated to improving the well-being of children and families through research, education, and engagement. We study factors that influence child outcomes, develop and test promising interventions, and advance evidence-based practices and policies that can inform change and unlock opportunities for all children and their families.
Recent News
Student Reflection on Conducting Research in Schools Panel 2025
December 12, 2025
CCFP News
On November 19, the School Research Partnership at Duke in the Center for Child and Family Policy hosted its annual “Conducting Research in Schools” panel discussion.
read more about Student Reflection on Conducting Research in Schools Panel 2025Student Reflection on Samuels Talk “Evidence-Informed Public Policy”
December 9, 2025
CCFP News
The Duke Center for Child and Family Policy recently welcomed guest speaker Bryan Samuels, executive director of Chapin Hill, as part of the Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture Series.
read more about Student Reflection on Samuels Talk “Evidence-Informed Public Policy”Reducing Food Insecurity Among Children in the U.S.
November 24, 2025
EconoFact
Food assistance programs specifically earmarked toward subsidizing household food costs such as SNAP and WIC have positive effects on infant health and school achievement and reduce behavioral problems in school, promoting a range of health and educational benefits in the short- and long-term.
read more about Reducing Food Insecurity Among Children in the U.S.Helping Children Thrive Through Climate Change: Strategies for Raising Resilient Youth in a Warming World
November 19, 2025
Child & Family Blog
This article dives into how climate change affects children’s physical and psychological well-being, highlighting 3 strategies to help combat this.
read more about Helping Children Thrive Through Climate Change: Strategies for Raising Resilient Youth in a Warming World
Featured Projects
Research Project
Reducing Structural Barriers in a School-Based System of Food Assistance to Reduce Inequality in Food Security and Child Outcomes
Project Description In the U.S., food insecurity (FI), or the inconsistent access to food of the quantity or quality needed to fuel a healthy life, is an important source of socioeconomic and racial inequality in youth outcomes. Decades of research finds that FI undermines youths’ physical, socioemotional, and cognitive development, and their academic outcomes as…
learn more about Reducing Structural Barriers in a School-Based System of Food Assistance to Reduce Inequality in Food Security and Child Outcomes
Research Project
National Center for Research on Hispanic Families and Children
Project Description The National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families (Center) is a research hub to generate evidence and support programs and policy to better serve low-income Hispanic children and families. Areas of research focus include poverty reduction and economic self-sufficiency; family stability; and early care and education. A key part of the Center’s mission…
learn more about National Center for Research on Hispanic Families and Children
Research Project
Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and Services
This project expands reach, builds capacity, and scales up evidence-based programs offering positive youth development and sexuality education to address health disparities in the most vulnerable areas across rural Eastern North Carolina.
learn more about Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and Services
Research Project
Factors in Persistence Versus Fadeout of Early Childhood Intervention Impacts
This project seeks to understand whether, for whom, and how the effects of successful early childhood school readiness interventions are sustained across a child’s development.
learn more about Factors in Persistence Versus Fadeout of Early Childhood Intervention ImpactsFor Students
The Center offers a variety of ways for Duke students at every level to learn about child and family policy and become involved in original research.