Parenting and youth development research integrates research and extension activities in youth development and parent education. This research provides youth the opportunity to evaluate community spaces through their own unique lens and engages youth and parents in supporting youth-friendly changes to their local environments.

Parenting and child learning research explores the relation among parental beliefs about child learning, their toy preferences, and their education and socioeconomic status (SES).  Specifically, this line of research investigates the ways in which parental beliefs about early child learning shapes toy choices and opportunities that children aged 6 months to 4 years have at home to develop their cognitive skills through play.  A related area of research examines the ways in which infants’ play enhances learning with a focus on parental choice of infant play materials, how toy marketing may shape these choices, and whether parents view play as more effective for learning in infants than preschoolers.

Parenting education research-extension work explores the impact of expanding parent education to community spaces such as School-Based Health Centers, libraries, and schools through portable parenting models to enhance the sustainability of families and communities.