Lessons from The Commonwealth Fund's Child Development Initiatives
<p>Earlier this year, The Commonwealth Fund wound down its Program on Child Development and Preventive Care. In a <a href="/publications/fund-reports/2013/aug/history-commonwealth-funds-child-development-and-preventive-care">new report</a> released today, historian Cynthia Connolly demonstrates how the Fund’s efforts fell within a continuum of broader initiatives to promote child health that span many decades, from Title IV of the Social Security Act to the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment programs. </p><p>Connolly tells the story of how Commonwealth Fund–supported initiatives―among them, Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD), which emphasized state–federal collaboration―succeeded in convincing parents, payers, providers, and policymakers of the central importance of developmental screening in well-child care. Her narrative offers valuable lessons for bringing about change not just in child health, but in other areas where complicated and enduring issues persist. </p>
<p>Read more on <a href="/publications/fund-reports/2013/aug/history-commonwealth-funds-child-development-and-preventive-care">commonwealthfund.org</a>.</p>