Deborah Daro, PHD

Deborah Daro, Senior Research Fellow Emeritus at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, has played a key role in the development and assessment of evidence-based home visitation programs, working with Federal administrators and Congressional leaders in crafting initial guidelines for the Federal Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV). Prior to joining Chapin Hall in January 1999, Dr. Daro contributed to the development of Healthy Families America (HFA), one of the largest evidence-based home visiting models in the country. With over 40 years of experience in evaluating child abuse treatment and prevention programs, she is considered one of the leading national experts in crafting effective strategies to prevent child maltreatment, foster positive parent-child interactions, and support optimal child development. Most recently her research and writing have focused on strategies, such as Family Connects, that embed individualized, targeted prevention efforts within more universal efforts to alter normative standards and community context. Dr. Daro holds a Ph.D. in social welfare policy from the University of California, Berkeley.