The Next Step in Early Childhood Policy: Creating a Universal System of Care for Families with Young Children

During this national convening, attendees will explore what research says about what young children and their families need and, subsequently, how universal systems of care could be developed to meet those needs. The conference will provide a national platform for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to join together in shifting the conversation away from fixing "broken" families and, instead, focus on how to build universal systems that provide young children and families the opportunity to thrive. Sessions on April 12 include:

• Setting the Stage: Is This a Movement? The Historical Context, featuring Dr. Deborah Daro, Senior Research Fellow, Chapin Hall
• How Well Are Current Early Childhood Policies Working?
• Keynote Discussion: Rooting the Work of Early Childhood Policy in Equity, featuring Dr. Aisha Ray, Professor Emerita of Child Development at Erikson Institute and a Distinguished Fellow at the BUILD Initiative, and Dr. Iheoma U. Iruka, Founding Director, Equity Research Action Coalition, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, and Research Professor in the Department of Public Policy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Centering Family Voices
• Federal: How Build Back Better Supports Universal Movement, featuring Patricia Cole, Senior Director of Federal Policy, ZERO TO THREE Policy Center
• Building the Early Childhood Workforce
• Putting the Pieces Together: Lessons from Legislative and Ballot Wins for the Universal Approach
• Restructuring Government and Programs to Meet the Needs Young Children and Families

Sponsored by Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy, the Center for Child and Family Policy, ABC Thrive, and The Hunt Institute, this event will provide meaningful engagement with both the Duke University community and the national early childhood community of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. This virtual convening, free and open to the public, is part of Duke University's celebration of 50 years of public policy education and scholarship.