Infant and Toddler Care Policy Research Center Opens at Rutgers

Launches with Webinar Conversation on Child Care and Education for Infants and Toddlers in New Jersey

On Feb 18, 2021

A new infant and toddler child care policy center at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education launches this week with a webinar that explores the need for research and greater insight to guide public policy.

The Infant and Toddler Policy Research Center at NIEER (ITC@NIEER) will focus on early care and education policies that influence the learning and development of infants and toddlers in New Jersey and the nation. ITC@NIEER is a unit within the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).

“ITC@NIEER will showcase what it can do for infants and toddlers in New Jersey and beyond during our first official event,” said Dr. Allison Friedman-Krauss, ITC@NIEER’s project director. “There is much work to be done to understand the landscape of infant and toddler education and care so we can make research-based policy recommendations.”

The center conducts policy analysis and research into infant and toddler education and care, communicating and translating its research to inform policymaking. It has already published research showing COVID-19 safety measures and low state subsidies have put New Jersey childcare providers in financial peril.

To celebrate its launch, ITC@NIEER is presenting “5 Things We Know and 5 Things We Don’t But Should” on Friday, Feb. 19, at 1:30 p.m. ET. The webinar is an hour-long conversation about education and care for infants and toddlers in New Jersey.

Dr. Arturo Brito, executive director of The Nicholson Foundation, will moderate the event. Panelists include Dr. Allison Friedman-Krauss, ITC@NIEER; Natasha Johnson, New Jersey Division of Family Development; Dr. Beverly Lynn, Program for Parents, Inc.; Cecilia Zalkind, Advocates for Children of New Jersey. Dr. W. Steven Barnett, NIEER, will provide concluding remarks.

“Through its research and analysis, ITC@NIEER will help guide wise decision-making on infant and toddler care policy in New Jersey and beyond,” said Dr. Brito. “As policymakers face critical questions like how to improve equity of access to high quality care and make care affordable, ITC@NIEER’s work will ensure that the information decisions are based upon is grounded in science.”

Registration is free. Visit https://nieer.org/webinar-registration for more information and to register.

Funding for this webinar is provided by The Nicholson Foundation. Technical support is provided by the Advocates for Children of New Jersey.

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at the Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, conducts and disseminates independent research and analysis to inform early childhood education policy.

ITC@NIEER is a unit within NIEER focused on early care and education policies that influence the learning and development of infants and toddlers.

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