Christina Stephens

• Early childhood development and education
• Equitable access to early care and education
• Early childhood education policy 

Christina Stephens, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Her research investigates early care and education (ECE) impacts on families and children among historically marginalized populations, including dual language learners. These interests are focused on (1) policies and factors that shape families’ equitable ECE access, and (2) elements of programs and classrooms that promote early development. Dr. Stephens’s work aims to translate into applied decision-making, policies, and practices across multiple levels of ECE systems that benefit children and families.

Prior to joining NIEER, Dr. Stephens was an Institute of Education Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Virginia. In this role she conducted research on children’s assets and education experiences that support early development using data from the Fairfax PreK to Third Grade Study, and supported projects engaged in partnerships with state and community agencies that administer Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidies. Previously, she has also worked with the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families to conduct national analyses of policies, ECE supply characteristics, and household factors that shape children’s access to high-quality educational opportunities; and worked on a multi-state study of CCDF policy implementation in local communities.

• Ph.D. Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina Greensboro 
• M.S. Human Development and Family Studies, University of Rhode Island
• B.A. Psychology, The Catholic University of America