Welcome!

2014 CYFS SUMMIT ON RESEARCH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS), the Buffett Early Childhood Institute and First Five Nebraska invite you to review proceedings from the 2014 CYFS Summit on Research in Early Childhood held April 10, 2014 at Wilderness Ridge in Lincoln, NE.

Purposes of the Summit

In the tradition of its predecessors, the third biennial summit aimed to:

Communicate cutting-edge early childhood findings from CYFS-affiliated researchers and colleagues
Link ongoing efforts in early childhood research and practice
Advance the science of early childhood education and development via connections among community partners, key stakeholders, policymakers, early childhood practitioners and CYFS researchers

Guest Speakers

OPENING & WELCOME

Dr. Susan Sheridan

Director – Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Dr. Samuel J. Meisels

Executive Director – Buffett Early Childhood Institute
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Watch Opening & Welcome

KEYNOTE ADDRESS & MODERATED DISCUSSION

Diverging Destinies in Rural America: Work, Family & Early Child Development

Dr. Lynne Vernon-Feagans

William C. Friday Distinguished Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Over the last 40 years, families in rural America have faced numerous challenges relative to their urban peers: fewer quality jobs, less access to higher education, greater poverty. The Family Life Project has been documenting these challenges in rural life by following a representative sample of 1,300 rural children from birth.

Early findings from this longitudinal study suggest diverging destinies between rural college-educated parents and high school-educated parents with respect to income, non-standard work hours, chaotic households and early childrearing. These differences have major implications, particularly in terms of how much time parents spend with children and the quality of interactions between them.

The confluence of challenges facing parents who lack higher education is affecting children’s early development in language and other areas. Though these data on children’s development are concerning, the Family Life Project has also identified important early experiences that may buffer rural children at risk for negative outcomes.

Watch Keynote Address

Download PowerPoint

Watch Moderated Discussion