"The longitudinal impacts of COVID-19 on families with young children in a large metropolitan county" (Family Relations, 2025)

 This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health of caregivers of young children in Miami-Dade County over two years. Early pandemic stress and concerns about children’s behavior predicted higher caregiver anxiety and depression in 2022, while effective coping strategies lessened these impacts. Findings highlight the need for community and school policies that support families’ long-term well-being during large-scale crises.

"The experiences of hispanic mothers of young children in accessing cross-sector federal financial assistance programs to improve family self-sufficiency and well-being" (Journal of Racial and Ethnic Disparities, 2025)

This study examined the experiences of Hispanic mothers with young children accessing subsidized early care and education and other federal financial assistance programs. Ten qualitative interviews conducted in participants’ preferred language, reveal themes related to barriers and benefits accessing  these cross-sector programs. Findings highlight how these supports interact to promote family well-being and child development, offering insights for policy improvements to increase accessibility for underserved Hispanic families.

"Environmental burden and kindergarten readiness: Implications for sustainable child development and community well-being in an urban county" (sustainability, 2025)

 Using integrated administrative data, our reserach team examined how environmental burden, socioeconomic vulnerability, and race/ethnicity are linked to kindergarten readiness in Miami-Dade County. Findings showed areas with higher vulnerability had lower kindergarten readiness and higher environmental burdens. The results highlight inequities in access to safe green spaces and quality early education, providing insights for community planning to promote healthier, more equitable child development.

Book Chapter: "Partnering for school readiness: IDEAS consortium for children"  (Early childhood research for educational equity: Family-school-systems connections, 2024)

The history, development, and implementation of the Miami-Dade IDEAS consortium for children is discussed in this book chapter. Dr. Rebecca Bulotsky-Shearer and collegues provide the first person details and analysis of how cross-sector administrative data sharing can be created and sustained to generate evidence that informs data and system reform.

The complete book includes new approaches, insights, and technologies to promote educational equity and improve outcomes for children and families. Available from Brookes Publishing. 

"Conceptualizing neighborhood context in youth psychotherapy research" (Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 2024)

 While youth psychotherapies reduce the mental health burden, their impact is limited by implementation challenges and by how neighborhood environments shape treatment outcomes. Neighborhood factors can either hinder or enhance youth response to psychotherapy, yet are rarely examined in clinical research. This article proposes advancing work in this field through collaboration, multi-method neighborhood assessment and strategies that will enhance interventions in underserved communities. 

"Direct and interactive effects of attendance rates on growth in language, literacy and mathematics skills for children enrolled in voluntary preschool programs" (Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2024)

 This population-based study uses data from IDS partners to examine the academic effects of attendance in public prekindergarten programs. The article details how attendance can serve as a protective factor and outlines neighborhood differences. Overall, consistent attendance for pre-k students supports academic development.

"Developmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young Children: A conceptual model for research with integrated administrative data systems" 

(International Journal of Population Data Science, October 2021)

While each integrated data system (IDS) is unique, the article outlines a shared approach for cross-system data to be integrated in the context of a holistic approach to child development. This paper was developed with contributions from the IDEAS Consortium and other IDS projects in the national AISP Network.