By Suzanne Le Menestrel, Juan Romero-Casillas, and Eva Lettiere (Society for Research in Child Development)

The path from research to policy is rarely straightforward; it takes collaboration between researchers and policymakers at every stage. In child-centered policymaking, where the goal is to improve the lives of children and families, these partnerships are especially vital. Evidence helps policymakers better understand complex issues and identify effective solutions, while researchers gain the opportunity to demonstrate the value of their work in addressing real-world challenges.

At the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), we strengthen these connections every day. By facilitating dialogue and mutual respect between researchers and policymakers, we ensure that families benefit from policies grounded in evidence. This bridging work is not abstract— it directly shapes programs and decisions that promote children’s healthy development and well-being.

Social and behavioral science is central to this process. It informs the design of programs that support children’s health, education, and family stability, and it helps prevent unintended harm when policy decisions are not evidence-based. Yet research alone is not enough. Between research and policy lies a critical “middle space” — where advocates and intermediaries translate findings into actionable goals that can guide stronger, more equitable policy.

SRCD has long recognized the importance of this “middle space,” and much of our work focuses on improving interactions within it. Through the Child Policy Hub (“The Hub”)—a suite of trainings, tools, and programs for members, policymakers, and other stakeholders—we help researchers learn how to engage with policymakers and translate their findings into policy solutions. We also bring policymakers into direct conversation with researchers, ensuring that child and family needs are understood, data is clear, and policy decisions are grounded in both. These efforts make it easier to build strong cases for effective programs, respond to policymakers’ questions, and ensure that researchers have a seat at the table.

Through the Hub, SRCD turns rigorous research into actionable tools and programs for researchers, policymakers, and intermediaries. For example, the Child Policy Connect program assesses the research needs of Congressional offices and “matchmakes” SRCD members to offices based on their expertise, so researchers can answer questions in real time. Our Science Advocacy work, in collaboration with coalition partners and other advocacy organizations, allows SRCD to convene experts, synthesize their findings, and translate them into pragmatic recommendations for both policy and legal decision-making, including amicus briefs and comment letters. The Child Policy Briefs program summarizes evidence on specific topics and pairs it with practical policy considerations, providing decision-makers with concise, evidence-based resources. All combined, these programs ensure that evidence reaches the people and institutions who can act on it most effectively.

The Hub also serves as a platform to equip researchers with the skills they need to engage in policy. Through Child Policy Trainings, we aim to provide members with knowledge about the policymaking process, effective communication strategies, and equity-focused approaches to evidence-based policy. By building these capacities, SRCD ensures that our members can continue bridging research and policy in meaningful, impactful ways.

Social and behavioral science is inseparable from how well we live our lives—and how well future generations will live theirs. It must remain central to policymaking. Supporting the federal science enterprise is essential to sustaining the health of our communities, strengthening the research-to-policy pipeline, and ensuring that evidence continues to inform programs and decisions that affect children and families.

When we invest in science, we invest in stronger policies, healthier communities, and better outcomes for generations to come. Evidence-based policymaking is stronger because of social science and the perspectives it brings. SRCD helps make that connection possible by translating rigorous research into actionable recommendations, training researchers to engage in the policymaking process, and fostering shared goals between scientists and policymakers. Without this work, policy risks losing the nuance, rigor, and relevance needed to effectively improve the lives of children and families.

Dr. Suzanne Le Menestrel, Ph.D., CAE is the Executive Director of the Society for Research in Child Development. Dr. Le Menestrel provides oversight of SRCD’s peer-reviewed journals, grants, awards, and fellowships; collaborates with the executive leadership team on scientific initiatives; and leads professional development and scientific content on behalf of SRCD’s nearly 5,000 members. Before joining SRCD, Dr. Le Menestrel was a Senior Program Officer on the Board on Children, Youth, and Families, at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Prior to this, she was the founding national program leader for youth development research at 4-H National Headquarters, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Le Menestrel was also a founder of the Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice and chaired its publications committee. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Consortium of Social Science Associations and is a volunteer mentor for the Dream Project. Dr. Le Menestrel holds a B.S. in psychology from St. Lawrence University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in human development and family studies from The Pennsylvania State University. She also has a nonprofit management executive certificate from Georgetown University, and she is a certified association executive.

Juan Romero-Casillas is the Policy Manager at SRCD, where he supports evidence-based child and family policymaking. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, and a graduate degree in Public Policy from The George Washington University. Previously, Juan managed the Líderes Avanzando Fellowship at UnidosUS and worked as a Senior Associate at Penn Hill Group on education and workforce policy. His earlier experience includes roles at the Library of Congress, HUD, and internships with the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Treasury .

Eva Lettiere is the policy intern at the Society for Research in Child Development. Prior to interning with SRCD, Lettiere interned with the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA), and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s Capitol and District offices. She is a senior at George Washington University, pursuing her BA in political science with a public policy focus and her Master of Public Policy.

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