Child Development Research and the Poor Children of America: A Call for a Developmental Contextual Approach to Research and Outreach

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Abstract
The number of American children living under persistent and pervasive poverty increases each year. For example, poverty rates are greater among African American and Latino children than among European American children. Yet most studies of child developmentfocus on European American, middle‐class samples and do not consider the actual ecology of children's development. Such studies have limited applicability for developing, delivering, or sustaining policies or programs pertinent to the diverse groups comprising America's poor children. Accordingly, we present a developmental contextual model of child development thatfocuses on diversity and context; that suggests means to synthesize research with policy and program design, delivery, and evaluation; and that promotes both multiprofessional collaboration and research‐outreach partnerships with communities. Finally, to change the developmental trajectories of America's poor children, we call for scientific focus on the issue of how to develop and sustain successful policies and programs.