Dr. Wendy Wagner Robeson, EdD

Wendy Wagner Robeson, Ed.D., is a senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women who studies child development, early childhood care and education, and child care policy. Dr. Robeson’s body of work includes a landmark federally-funded study that spanned from 1991 to 2010. The study provided definitive evidence that non-maternal child care does not damage children's attachment to their mother, and that high-quality child care programs have a positive effect on children's cognitive development and school readiness. Dr. Robeson also co-authored the first-ever comprehensive review of early childhood education and out-of-school time facilities, which demonstrated the effects of facilities on the quality of children’s learning experiences.

Dr. Robeson’s research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and other federal, state, and community foundation sources. Her work has been cited in media outlets including Forbes and MarketWatch, and she has authored op-eds for Ms. Magazine, K-12 Dive, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. She received her Ed.D. from Harvard University.

Sub-specialties:
Child Care (accessibility, affordability, quality)
Child Care Policy
Child literacy
Child care during COVID-19
Parenting during COVID-19
Child care in Massachusetts
Child development
School readiness
Early Childhood Care and Education Workforce- center-based and family child care