The Center for the Developing Child

The Center was founded in July 2006 on the belief that the vitality and sustainability of any society depend on the extent to which it equalizes opportunities early in life for all children to achieve their full potential and engage in responsible and productive citizenship. Stated simply, the Center views healthy child development as the foundation of community development, economic prosperity, and a secure nation, and its mission is to advance that vision by leveraging science to enhance child well-being. Drawing on the full breadth of intellectual resources available across Harvard University’s schools and affiliated hospitals, the Center is designed to generate, translate, and apply knowledge in the service of closing the gap between what we know and what we do to support positive life outcomes for children, particularly those who are vulnerable, in the United States and throughout the world