The Brink: BU School of Social Work Makes a “Transformative” Hire for Childhood Equity

From The Brink

When it comes to helping kids succeed, a handful of factors have been proven to give them the best shot at a happy and healthy life: quality schools, clean air, parks and playgrounds, access to healthcare, families earning sufficient salaries and benefits. So how can it be, in this modern age, that many children still lack those essentials? And what will it take to level the playing field for all children? Tackling those questions is the mission of nationally renowned health inequities researcher Dolores Acevedo-Garcia. She and her 11-member team recently joined the Boston University School of Social Work to create the new Institute for Equity in Child Opportunity & Healthy Development. Previously based at Brandeis University, Acevedo-Garcia and her researchers and staff brought along their respected diversitydatakids.org project, a hub for rigorous, data-driven research and policy programs on racial, ethnic, and geographic equity in child opportunity and well-being.