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
Breaking the Cycle: How an Early Childhood Intervention Can Help Disrupt Depression Across Generations
October 31, 2025
CCFP News
Depression is known to run in families, however less is known on how to break the cycle of generational depression.
In a new study from Duke University’s Center for Child and Family Policy, researchers find an intensive childhood intervention designed to reduce conduct problems in at-risk children can also help disrupt the transmission of generational depression in families.
read more about Breaking the Cycle: How an Early Childhood Intervention Can Help Disrupt Depression Across GenerationsStudent Reflection on Betancourt Talk “Shadows Into the Light”
October 28, 2025
CCFP News
On October 17, CCFP welcomed Dr. Theresa Betancourt, Salem Professor in Global Practice at the Boston College School of Social Work, for a special event to discuss her new book, Shadows Into Light.
read more about Student Reflection on Betancourt Talk “Shadows Into the Light”Student Reflection on Gibbs Talk “Making Smart Investments in Early Childhood Education”
October 21, 2025
CCFP News
The Duke Center for Child and Family Policy recently welcomed Dr. Chloe Gibbs, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, for her talk “Making Smart Investments in Early Childhood Education,” as part of the Center’s Early Childhood Initiative series.
read more about Student Reflection on Gibbs Talk “Making Smart Investments in Early Childhood Education”Just Knowing Help is there Makes all the Difference
October 16, 2025
American Psychological Association
In this study, Jennifer Lansford highlights the importance of support from family, friends, and colleagues on an individual’s well-being and mental health.
read more about Just Knowing Help is there Makes all the Difference
Featured Projects
Research Project
BELLA Online: ESL and Classroom Teachers Working Together With Children and Families
Project goal is to design, develop, and test an online professional development program called Bridging English Language Learning and Academics (BELLA) for improving teacher and student outcomes for working with English Learners (ELs).
learn more about BELLA Online: ESL and Classroom Teachers Working Together With Children and Families
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
Great Smoky Mountains Study of Rural Aging
Project to augment the longitudinal Great Smoky Mountains Study (GSMS) to create a national data resource, the Great Smoky Mountains Study of Rural Aging (GSMS-RA), for the study of early determinants of the aging experience in a rural context. The GSMS began collecting data on children, now participants are entering their 40s.
learn more about Great Smoky Mountains Study of Rural Aging
Research Project
Daily Diary Study of Youth Adjustment in the Russia-Ukraine War
This project will pilot a daily diary study of youth in Ukraine and Poland to develop a state-of-the art assessment tool for measuring within-person changes in coping and adjustment related to the war in Ukraine.
learn more about Daily Diary Study of Youth Adjustment in the Russia-Ukraine WarFor 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.