- (617) 414-6366
- info@childrenshealthwatch.org
- 801 Albany Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02119
What an Equitable Childhood and Society Looks Like:
Basic Childhood and Caregiver Rights and Supports
To achieve health equity for young children and their families by advancing research to transform policy.
Children’s HealthWatch envisions a future where equitable policies ensure ALL children and their families in the US flourish.
Children’s HealthWatch upholds that regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, ability, citizenship, socio-economic status, sexual orientation and gender identity, ALL children and their families have the inherent right to an equitable society that prioritizes their health and economic well-being.
Children’s HealthWatch Affirmation StatementWe at Children’s HealthWatch affirm that ALL children in the United States thrive when we respond to their realities and that they have the right to:
This is a living document that we will refine over time as a learning organization committed to Anti-Racism.
Children’s HealthWatch is a nonpartisan network of pediatricians, public health researchers, and children’s health and policy experts. Our network is committed to improving children’s health in America. We do that by first collecting real-time data in urban hospitals across the country on infants and toddlers from families facing economic hardship. We then analyze and share our findings with researchers, legislators, and the public.
Founded in 1998 by Dr. Deborah Frank, we focus specifically on the impacts of economic and social factors on very young children. Through our data, research, and publications, we shine a spotlight on the challenges this population faces during the most important years of their cognitive and physical development.
Our findings help policymakers and the public better understand the social and economic factors that impact children’s health so they can make well-informed policy decisions that can give all children equal opportunities for healthy, successful lives.
Children’s HealthWatch currently has pediatricians and researchers located in urban hospitals in four cities across the United States: Boston, MA; Little Rock, AR; Minneapolis, MN; and Philadelphia, PA.
Since 1998, Children’s HealthWatch has collected data in frontline healthcare settings to perform cutting edge research on the impact of public policy on the health, nutrition, and development of children ages zero to four. Our multi-site network of pediatricians and public health professionals continuously monitors the influence of public policy changes on the health and well-being of low-income babies and toddlers in the United States.
We are the only frontline organization that collects and analyzes data on an ongoing basis exclusively about very young children who are from families facing economic hardship. With nearly 90,000 surveys in our data set, we have the most comprehensive, current information about the health and well-being of this population.
To ensure a complete picture of each child in our survey, the information we collect from caregivers includes more than just physical health. We also look at numerous factors that impact health, such as access to food and affordable housing.
Children’s HealthWatch administers a household survey to caregivers of children under four at four hospitals in four different cities: Little Rock AR, Boston MA, Philadelphia, PA and Minneapolis MN. We administer this survey to a cross-sectional sample of English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers (and Somali-speaking in Minneapolis only) of children under four years of age accessing emergency departments (ED) and primary care clinics in Children’s HealthWatch medical centers. Children’s HealthWatch also collects detailed medical and sociodemographic data through medical record review. We conduct repeated cross-sectional surveillance of the population of children under four years of age accessing emergency departments and acute clinics in inner-city medical centers.
With these data, we are able to research the impact of policies and economic conditions on the health of low-income children and families.
Our research is meant to be used for action.
Share your thoughts and any of our resources with your members of Congress. You can find your members here and call or email them to encourage them to prioritize nutrition for the health and well-being of young kids.
Stay up to date with child health policy and action in the U.S.
