The Child and Family Policy Center’s applied research projects investigate communities in real world settings. These projects focus on individuals’ experiences that have implications for policy. Past and current projects include teacher’s report of how students spend their time in the classroom, adolescents’ participation in activities that reflect their civic engagement, and teachers’ use of curriculum-based assessments.

Intervention research can take the form of either program development or program evaluation. The Child and Family Policy Center engages in intervention research that can be used to inform policy around the implementation, selection, or even funding of various family intervention programs. Currently the center is evaluating an early childhood home visitation intervention program in an urban context.

Professional development work by the Child and Family Policy Center focuses on working with educators to improve their practices in the classroom. The center uses a collaborative approach for professional development and emphasizes incorporating educators in the training process. Past and current projects include training educators on conducting child-level assessments in the classroom, coaching educators on the use of curriculum-based assessments, and working with administration to improve and sustain overall quality of early childhood centers.

One of the Child and Family Policy Center's trademark activities is its Forum events, which build on the mission of the organization by bringing state-of-the-field research to the attention of policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers who serve children and families in New York City.