Journalism Fellowships in Child and Family Policy

About the fellowships

Since March 2000, our professional development program has helped strengthen journalists’ understanding of child / family issues and their policy dimensions. We’ve provided 104 past fellows with training seminars surveying the vast landscape of children's issues and, in select cases, financial support for independent projects. Our current class of 35 fellows, our program's last, will receive cross-training focused around three primary areas:

The education of young children. At least 40 states have introduced some form of publicly funded preschool. Who is pushing these initiatives? We'll examine the latest research on human development, school readiness, alignments in curricula, public and private investment, family and community supports, and policymaking.

Children of immigrants. This is the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. child population. One in five children either is an immigrant or has at least one foreign-born parent, the 2000 Census found. Immigration is affecting all states, to varying degrees. We'll explore changing demographics, including their impact on families, communities, schools, public services, businesses and governance at all levels.

Measures of child and family well-being. An assortment of data – on vital statistics, health, education, economics, housing and more – reveal the conditions of children and families. What effect do these indicators have on public opinion and policy? What’s measured? What’s missing? We’ll look at numerous measures, including: the federal government’s key national indicators (www.childstats.gov); a new, single-digit national measure called the FCD Index of Child Well-Being (supported by our funder, the Foundation for Child Development); and state-level data collected for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual KIDS COUNT.

Program structure

Two intensive seminars will connect fellows with the best data, practice and policy in these focus areas. Expert briefings will put emerging social science research and policy in context. Site visits will allow up-close examination of problems or model programs. Advanced journalism training will help fellows frame and clarify complicated issues for the public. Fellows also will have some time for independent research and reporting.

Seminars will take place in Washington, D.C., or at the nearby University of Maryland. Seminars are scheduled for Sept. 28-Oct. 1 and Dec. 4-7.

The program has two tracks: seminars only or seminars plus project.

Seminars. Twenty-nine fellows on this track will attend both all-expenses-paid conferences and receive a $250 stipend after each.

Seminars plus project. Six fellows will be receiving up to $7,500 to pursue independent reporting projects, in addition to attending the fall and winter conferences. They will explore topics such as early education policy and the education of immigrant children.