Team Members
- Chris Wimer, PhD
- Allyson Crawford, MA
Research Project Description
This IRL project was designed to leverage an innovative early childhood program that combines income supports, parenting education, and connections to community services to promote the early health and development of young children. During the IRL project years (2016-2019) the team launched a small-scale randomized controlled trial of Room to Grow to help demonstrate early parent and child outcomes of the intervention with the hope of building it into a larger demonstration project in the future. Room to Grow’s vision is that one day, all parents will have the resources they need to unlock their families’ potential and become champions for babies and their community. This research-informed program model combines tailored, one-on-one in-person sessions with an expert clinician every three months plus ongoing communication by phone and email, provision of essential baby items, and connections to vital community resources.
Watch the Team Video
Team Members
Chris Wimer, PhD
Chris Wimer is a Research Scientist and Co-Director of the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at the Columbia Population Research Center. His research focuses on measuring poverty and disadvantage, how families cope with poverty and economic insecurity, and the role of social policies in the lives of disadvantaged families.
Allyson Crawford, MA
Allyson Crawford is the CEO of Room to Grow. With robust experience in the fields of education and nonprofit organizational leadership and strategy, Allyson’s work is driven by a passionate belief in the transformational potential of early childhood investments.
Issue Brief: New York
Identifying a Solution to Early Childhood Inequality
