The National Center for Children and Families
Frequently
Asked Question (FAQ)
What is the National Center for Children and
Families? What does it do?
- We are a non-profit, non-partisan organization
dedicated to advancing the well-being of children and families.
- We research the economic, educational, social,
and health conditions of children and families, and help
develop policies that strengthen families, nationally and
internationally.
- We are based at Teachers College, Columbia
University.
When was the NCCF Founded? Who leads the organization?
- The NCCF was established in 1991, founded by
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, with primary support from the Marx Family
Foundation and Teachers College.
- Two Co-Directors lead the organization:
What are the main
activities of the NCCF?
- Producing and publishing relevant research
that can advance social policy
- Training
world-class scholars
- Providing
consultative support to governments, domestic and international,
on policy issues related to the development and well-being
of children and their families
- Providing
Congressional testimony
- Informing
the media on key child and family issues of importance
to the nation
What is the size of the organization? What is
the annual operating budget?
- NCCF consists of 28 individuals, including
research scientists (post-doctoral fellows), graduate fellows
(doctoral students), graduate students (masters candidates),
research assistants, a finance director, a communications director,
and support staff.
- The annual operating
budget is approximately $2 million, with contributions provided
by foundations, the governments, corporations, and Teachers
College.
What types of research and training opportunities
are available to graduate students at the NCCF?
We offer rich and diverse opportunities for academic research
and training, including:
Research
• Center Graduate
Fellowships
• Research Scientist/Post-Doctoral
Fellowships
• Research Practicum
• Research Assistants
• Research Affiliates
• Visiting Scholars
Program
Training
• Degree Programs
in Early Childhood Policy
• Federal Policy
Institute
• Center Teaching
Fellowships
• Policy, Legislative,
and Dissemination Opportunities
• Summer Fellowship
Program: Putting Children First
What
are some of NCCF's recent achievements?
During 2007 – 2009, highlights
of our achievements include:
- Jeanne Brooks-Gunn received an honorary Doctor of Science degree at Northwestern University's 151st annual commencement.
- Jeanne Brooks-Gunn and Anne Martin were invited speakers and presenters at the Jacobs Foundation Conference, Early Childhood Development and Later Achievement, Marbach Castle, Germany.
- Jeanne Brooks-Gunn won the International Reading Association's 2008 Dina Feitelson Research Award for the paper, “Maternal reading and teaching patterns: Associations with school readiness in low-income African American families” along with co-authors Pia Rebello Britto and Terri Griffin.
- NCCF co-director Sharon Lynn Kagan has been working closely with UNICEF to advance international early learning and development standards (ELDS) in a variety of international countries including recent experiences in Malaysia and Nairobi.
- NCCF co-director Sharon Lynn Kagan and NCCF graduate research fellow Jeanne Reid recently wrote a comprehensive analysis of Federal Early Education Policy for the Obama administration. The paper, "Advancing ECE2 Policy: Early Childhood Education (ECE) and its Quest for Excellence, Coherence, and Equity (ECE)," was commissioned by the Center on Education Policy, Washington, D.C. for its project on Rethinking the Federal Role in Education and is the major early childhood education policy paper written for the new administration outside of the transition team.
- Sharon Lynn Kagan chaired the National Task Force on Early Childhood Accountability, sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Foundation for Child Development, and the Joyce Foundation.
- Sharon Lynn Kagan was an appointed member to the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Early Childhood Mathematics.
- Sharon Lynn Kagan was a congressional invitee at the United States Congress Summit on Early Childhood Education.
- Sharon Lynn Kagan was an invited public scholar at The Aspen Institute Festival of Ideas, Aspen, Colorado.
- Sharon Lynn Kagan was a named member to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Commission on Increasing the Application of Child and Adolescent Development Knowledge in Educator Preparation Programs.
- Anna Johnson and Kate Tarrant, two NCCF graduate research fellows, both won Teachers College Office of Policy and Research Fellowships. Highly competitive, the fellowships are awarded to doctoral students whose work shows significant promise of impacting research and policy.
- NCCF graduate research fellow Kate Tarrant recently received the Child Care Research Scholar Grant from the Federal Department of Health and Human Services Child Care Bureau and Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation.
- R. Gabriela Barajas was selected to be a junior mentor for the 2008 Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) Young Scholars Program.
- Katherine A. Beckmann received the Office of Policy and Research Fellowship from Teachers College and the 2008 Edward Zigler Research Scholarship from the National Head Start Association.
- Jondou Chen received the Arthur Zankel Urban Fellowshipfrom Teachers College.
- Alejandra Cortazar Valdes won the World Family Network, Margaret Mcnamara Memorial Fund Scholarship.
- Aleksandra Holod received the Urie Bronfenbrenner Student Travel Grant from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management to attend child care policy research presentations at the Fall Research Conference.
- Kimberly Howard won the Theodore Tjossem Postdoctoral Award from the Gatlinburg Conference, San Diego, CA for her Research project: Children’s Developmental Delay and Parental Relationship Quality in Fragile Families. Ms. Howard also won the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA).
- Anna Johnson won The Christopher Hill MPA (Master of Public Administration) Award.
- Anne Martin won the Young Scholars Travel Award from the Jacobs Foundation.
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