Herr Research Center for Children and Social Policy informs, guides, and supports effective early childhood policy in the Great Lakes region.
Unique in its regional approach, the center brings together perspectives from policy and research to promote the well-being of young children from birth to age eight and their families. Our researchers design and conduct original research, evaluations, and analysis on the optimal organizational design, funding mechanisms, monitoring practices, and implementation strategies of early childhood programs and services. We then channel this knowledge to government officials, program administrators, advocates, foundation officers, and other participants in the policy process to improve the overall effectiveness of programs and policies for young children and their families.
Herr Research Center builds on the work of an applied research center established at Erikson in 1997 with generous gifts from the Jeffery Herr family. The center expanded its mission in 2005 with an additional gift from the Herr family and with grants from the McCormick, Joyce, and Spencer Foundations, as well as the Children's Initiative, a project of the Pritzker Family Foundation.