Children's HealthWatch - Who We Are

Evidence and analysis from the the front lines of pediatric care.

Children's HealthWatch works to improve child health by bringing evidence and analysis from the front lines of pediatric care to policy makers and the public. Our research is grounded in the experience of pediatrician researchers who see first-hand in clinics how economic conditions and public policies are reflected in the health and well-being of their youngest patients.

Our network of pediatricians and public health researchers collects data on children up to the age of four in emergency rooms and clinics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore; Boston Medical Center; the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock; Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis; and St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia.

Our vision

A nation where local, state and national policies support the healthy development of all our young children.

Our mission

To improve child health by bringing evidence and analysis from the front lines of pediatric care to policy makers and the public.

Our methods

Primary adult caregivers accompanying children under four years of age are invited to participate in the Children’s HealthWatch survey and are provided with resource and referral assistance if they identify unmet needs as part of the interview. At present, we have records on over 38,000 children and their families, with 4500 new records added each year. This sentinel sampling allows us to identify early warnings of harm to a wider population of children. Children's HealthWatch is examining the impact of social safety net policies on the health, development, and well-being of young children through timely and simultaneous multi-site monitoring. It is our hope that the information collected by Children's HealthWatch will help policy-makers make informed decisions about social safety netpolicies that affect low-income children.