Biography

Kenneth A. Dodge is the William McDougall Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, where he founded the Center for Child and Family Policy. He has articulated a social information processing model of how violent behavior develops in children and families and has shown how public policy can be shaped to prevent violence and support healthy development for the entire population of children. With colleagues, he has conducted longitudinal studies such as the Child Development Project and randomized controlled trials to evaluate the impact of prevention programs such as Fast Track and Family Connects. Dodge is trained as a clinical and developmental psychologist, having earned his B.A. at Northwestern University and his Ph.D. at Duke University. Dodge was elected into the National Academy of Medicine in 2015. He has published more than 500 scientific articles which have been cited more than 77,000 times.

2-149 - A Vision for Birth-to-Five Public Policy to Nurture Child Development

Session Type: Invited Address

Integrative Statement

Unlike K-12 public education and Medicare for the aged, our nation has no comprehensive system for reaching and supporting families with children aged 0 to 5. The period of maximal neural development when achievement gaps and health gaps are launched is arguably the most important in the lifespan, and yet we do not even keep track of how many 0-5 children live in a community, let alone how they are supported. I propose a comprehensive system to enhance population-wide kindergarten health and readiness by beginning at birth. One component is Family Connects (FC), a universal, postnatal approach that attempts to reach and assess every family’s strengths and needs, provide brief intervention, and connect families with needed community services. Two randomized controlled trials (RCT) and a field quasi-experiment demonstrate broad population reach and impact, with a positive return on investment. I describe how to make this approach public policy and finance it nationwide.

Sub Unit

• Invited Program on Behavioral Science & Public Policy

Chair

• Terri Sabol, Northwestern University

Speaker

• Kenneth A. Dodge, Duke University