Research Topic

Child Welfare

Children and youth thrive when they have strong, safe, and supportive relationships and environments. However, many families struggle to provide such relationships and environments. CCFP researchers engage in longitudinal studies, partnerships with state and local social service agencies, and develop and evaluate innovative programs and services to understand and support struggling families and reduce child maltreatment.

Latest Research

Research Brief

Children’s Sensitivity to Facial Emotional Expressions

This study examined how socioeconomic status (SES) relates to children’s emotion recognition abilities. Findings suggest children from families with higher SES identify facial emotions slightly faster than those from lower SES families, influenced by warmer caregiving and more organized home environments

learn more about Children’s Sensitivity to Facial Emotional Expressions
Learn More

Jenni Owen

Professor of the Practice
Read More About Jenni Owen
Learn More

Katie Rosanbalm

Associate Research Professor
Read More About Katie Rosanbalm
Learn More

Kenneth Dodge

William McDougall Distinguished Professor of Public Policy Studies
Read More About Kenneth Dodge
Learn More

Beth Gifford

Research Professor
Read More About Beth Gifford
Learn More

Elizabeth Snyder-Fickler

Senior Research Scientist
Read More About Elizabeth Snyder-Fickler
Learn More

Nicole Lawrence

Senior Research Scientist
Read More About Nicole Lawrence
Learn More

Helen Milojevich

Research Scientist, SR
Read More About Helen Milojevich

Substance Use Treatment & Access to Resources Study

Evaluation of the Substance use Treatment and Access to Resources and Supports (STARS) program for pregnant women who have a substance use issue and babies who have been exposed to substances.

learn more about Substance Use Treatment & Access to Resources Study
learn more about Substance Use Treatment & Access to Resources Study

Positive Parenting App Study

Project Description This study of the postive parenting app tests the feasibility and effectiveness of a mobile-based app intervention designed to enhance home visiting by providing in-the-moment parenting tips with the goal of increasing healthy parent-child interactions leading to resiliency in high-risk children. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) profoundly influence brain and behavioral development and long-term…

learn more about Positive Parenting App Study
learn more about Positive Parenting App Study

Durham Navigation Study

The Durham Navigation Study is a randomized control trial to evaluate the impact of Community Navigation on outcomes for young children and their families.

learn more about Durham Navigation Study
learn more about Durham Navigation Study

Henderson-Polk Family Life Survey

The Henderson-Polk Family Life Survey is an impact evaluation of the Family Connects home visiting program, when delivered using a hybrid telehealth model.

learn more about Henderson-Polk Family Life Survey
learn more about Henderson-Polk Family Life Survey
October 27, 2025
Journal Articles

Black Girl Embodied Motivation: A Critically, Race-Gender Reimagined Motivation Theory

In this paper, a longstanding gap in the educational psychology literature is addressed by introducing a critically, race-gender reimagined motivation framework created specifically for investigating the academic motivation of Black girls.

learn more about Black Girl Embodied Motivation: A Critically, Race-Gender Reimagined Motivation Theory
September 10, 2025
Journal Articles

Children’s Sensitivity to Facial Emotional Expressions: The Mediating Roles of Maternal Warmth and Home Environment

This study shows that children from higher-socioeconomic (SES) households are more accurate at recognizing facial emotions than those from lower-SES households, with maternal warmth and home environment partly explaining these differences.

learn more about Children’s Sensitivity to Facial Emotional Expressions: The Mediating Roles of Maternal Warmth and Home Environment
September 5, 2025
Journal Articles

Children and Wealth Contexts in the United States: Differences by Household Type

This study finds that U.S. households with children exhibit higher wealth inequality, lower wealth levels, and greater net worth poverty rates than other household types.

learn more about Children and Wealth Contexts in the United States: Differences by Household Type
August 20, 2025
Journal Articles

Theories of Parenting and Child Development in Different Cultural Contexts

This article highlights key developmental and family theories to explain how cultural contexts affect parenting and children’s development due to parental beliefs, behaviors, and universal children needs.

learn more about Theories of Parenting and Child Development in Different Cultural Contexts