The Bendheim Thoman Center for Research on Child Wellbeing (CRCW) is an interdisciplinary center at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Office of Population Research. Our mission is to stimulate basic research, educate faculty and students about issues related to children's policies, and influence policymakers and practitioners at the federal, state, and local levels.
CRCW supports two initiatives: the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a basic research project, and the Future of Children, a journal for policy makers, practitioners, advocates, and researchers. We also support researchers working on other topics related to child wellbeing and children's policies.
The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study is following a longitudinal birth cohort of nearly 5,000 children born in the U.S. at the end of the 20th century. The study provides new information on the capabilities and relationships of parents, particularly unwed parents, as well as the effects of parental resources and public policies on children’s wellbeing.
The Future of Children Project seeks to promote effective policies and programs for children by providing policy makers, practitioners, and the media with timely, objective information based on the best available research. The project is co-sponsored with the Center for Health and Wellbeing and the Education Research Section at Princeton and the Center on Children and Families at Brookings Institution. It publishes a bi-annual journal, sponsors courses and conferences for the Woodrow Wilson MPA students, and hosts outreach activities for policy makers and practitioners at the national and local levels.
In addition to the initiatives described above, CRCW sponsors courses in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and supports a bi-monthly workshop for faculty and students using the Fragile Families data. We also host visitors and provide support to postdoctoral fellows and students at the graduate and undergraduate levels.