Erin Harmeyer is an Assistant Research Professor at NIEER. Her research interests include family childcare quality; caregiver-child interactions; and the academic readiness skills of low-income children. She previously taught second and fifth grade in the Kansas City, Missouri School District, and was most recently an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Child and Family Studies Program at Louisiana State University. Dr. Harmeyer obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri; a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and a Ph.D. in human development and family science from the University of Missouri. At NIEER, she conducts research related to early childhood programs and evaluation, including research on programs in Indiana, West Virginia, Philadelphia, and New Jersey.