About the Forum

The Forum was established in 2006. In the same way the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child seeks to explain why public investments should be made in the early childhood years, the Forum tries to describe what investments should be made—and how.

Mission

Comprising scholars from universities nationwide, the Forum assesses and interprets evaluation research, as well as neuroscience and behavioral research, with the intent of informing policy and program decisions. Under the aegis of the Forum, a multi-university research team is building a comprehensive meta-analytic database on intervention services from the prenatal period to age five. When it is completed, the database will include assessments of early care and education, family support, and health-based programs.

Forum History

The National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, formerly known as the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation, grew out of an earlier initiative: the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. The Council, founded in 2003, has focused since its inception on educating policymakers, business executives, and civic leaders about the basic science of early childhood and early brain development. To address questions about where to direct resources and how to maximize returns, the Council concluded there needed to an effort dedicated to offering expert guidance on such matters. As a result, the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation was born. In 2010, to more accurately reflect the scope of its work, the Forum was renamed the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.