Child Development & Social Policy Lab

Georgetown University, Department of Psychology

Our Research

Our research focuses on understanding and strengthening families, educational settings, and communities as key agents of change for the positive development of young children through young adults. Within these contexts, we study: Public Pre-K-12 Education, Parenting Practices, Food Insecurity, Academic Adjustment, Mental Health, and Identity Development

Public Pre-K-12 Education

Parenting Practices

Food Insecurity

Ethnic-Racial Identity & Psychosocial Adjustment

 Our Mission

The Child Development & Social Policy Lab (CDSP) exists to identify effective strategies for supporting the optimal development of children and youth at home, in their schools, and beyond. We focus on youth of diverse backgrounds and abilities whose life chances are often compromised by the contexts that accompany racism, poverty, and food insecurity in the U.S. We endeavor to identify programs and policies that hold promise as avenues for ensuring the strong developmental growth of all children and youth and help achieve equity for all.

Our Vision

Our research is motivated by a vision of the U.S. in which youths’ pathways through school and into society are determined not by their family background, but by their equitable access to opportunities to reach their developmental potential.

To learn more about what’s on our minds right now, click here.

Join us! 

We welcome all young scholars who want to train as developmental scientists working at the intersection of research, practice, and policy to apply to join our lab . Dr. Anna Johnson and Dr. Kristia Wantchekon are accepting graduate students for the 2025-2026 school year.