Supporting Solutions to Help Vulnerable Children

In 2008, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) created PolicyLab with the mission of achieving optimal child health and well-being by informing program and policy changes through interdisciplinary research. Right from the start, the Pew Charitable Trusts supported PolicyLab’s goal of developing and implementing evidence-based solutions for child health issues — awarding a grant to help establish what would become a Center for Emphasis within the Hospital’s Research Institute.

Pew has remained a longstanding partner to the Hospital, having given a total of nearly $30 million to date. Pew’s most recent award of $1 million will help PolicyLab remain a strong advocate for children through employing a team of communications and policy experts to translate and disseminate its research.

PolicyLab’s team includes more than 28 faculty and 55 staff who are experts in medicine, public health, law, psychology, health services research, program evaluation, and population health. Their work is focused in four portfolios: adolescent health and well-being; healthcare coverage, access and quality; health equity; and intergenerational family services.

With the current Pew support, PolicyLab teams will target specific content areas that are timely and of regional and national importance. These include:  

• Addressing growing challenges around healthcare coverage for children in low-income families
• Developing and testing solutions to reduce the risk of maltreatment of young children
• Providing more family-based services, otherwise known as intergenerational family services, during pediatric visits in the hopes of improving the health and well-being of both parents and children.

As PolicyLab celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018, the Pew Charitable Trusts has been a steadfast supporter of its research, as well as the vital work of making sure the studies’ results reach the relevant policymakers.