We foster the well-being of children and families.
All children deserve to live healthy, happy lives regardless of their race or ethnicity, family income, disability, or where they live and go to school. The Institute for Equity in Child Opportunity & Healthy Development (IECOHD) at BUSSW conducts research on the conditions children need to grow and thrive — with their families, in their neighborhoods, and through local, state, and federal policies.
At the Institute, 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 inherent value and that society should invest in ensuring their well-being both during childhood and as an investment in their future potential as adults.
We apply an explicit equity frame to 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 to build a world in which a child’s race, ethnicity, immigration status, and family income do not restrict their health, well-being, 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.