Fostering the wellbeing of children and families

All children deserve to live healthy, happy lives regardless of race/ethnicity, family income, disability or where they live and go to school.

We believe that a truly just and moral world requires that all children have access to the conditions they need to be happy and healthy in childhood and beyond. We operate from a children's rights perspective: We believe that children's lives have intrinsic value and that society should invest in ensuring children's well-being both during childhood and as an investment in their future potential as adults.

We apply an explicit equity frame in all of our work. We seek to fully understand the ways in which systems and policies have distributed resources and opportunities inequitably to children of different backgrounds, particularly Black, Hispanic, and immigrant children. We are committed to helping build a world in which a child’s race, ethnicity, immigration status, and family income do not restrict their health, wellbeing, or ability to thrive. This framing drives our discovery and application of the most effective avenues for all children and families to have fair and just opportunities to be their best selves. All children should have equitable opportunities for health and happiness today and into their futures.

Flagship Research Project: diversitydatakids.org

diversitydatakids.org is a comprehensive research program to monitor the state of wellbeing, diversity, opportunity, and equity of U.S. children. It was established in 2014 with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with a clear mission to help improve child wellbeing and increase racial and ethnic equity in opportunities for children.

Today, diversitydatakids.org has a thriving community of users of its research and data. It provides them with the information they need to make a positive impact through further research, community conversations about equity, and actions to change policies to increase equitable access to opportunity for all children.

visit diversitydatakids.org

Signature Equity Tools

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Policy Equity Assessments

Our framework embeds questions of racial and ethnic equity into policy analysis.

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Child Opportunity Index

We measure, map and compare how neighborhoods support child opportunity.

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Maps

We make it simple to explore child opportunity and racial/ethnic equity in your neighborhood, city, or state.

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Datasets

We host 300+ datasets on child and family demographics, wellbeing, and equity.