SRCD Adopts New Three-Year Strategic Plan to Strengthen Belonging, Global Scholarship, and Public Policy Impact
The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)’s Governing Council has adopted a new three-year strategic plan that will guide the organization's work through 2029. The plan reflects extensive input from members, staff, and partners and positions SRCD to strengthen its role as the professional home for developmental scientists while responding to a rapidly changing scientific and policy landscape.
“I am grateful for SRCD members’ engagement in providing extensive feedback to shape the plan,” said SRCD Governing Council President Dr. Jennifer Lansford. “The new strategic goals unite our Society’s members, partners, and staff around a vision for developmental science that is focused, actionable, and measurable. I am particularly encouraged that the plan embraces global scholarship at a time when international collaborations are especially crucial for understanding child development in the wide range of contexts in which it occurs.”
The strategic plan establishes four (4) organizational priorities:
- Cultivating genuine belonging by strengthening the member experience across career stages and creating meaningful opportunities for connection throughout the year.
- Advancing global scholarship by expanding international engagement and supporting research that reflects the diversity of children's experiences worldwide.
- Strengthening developmental science in policy and public discourse by increasing the visibility and application of developmental research in policymaking, practice, and public dialogue.
- Building a sustainable financial model by diversifying revenue and aligning investments with SRCD's long-term mission.
The plan was informed by extensive data collection and analysis, including via member surveys, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, organizational data, and Governing Council deliberations. Development of the plan was supported by the independent firm, Common Ground Consulting, LLC.
Each strategic goal includes measurable indicators of success, priority implementation strategies, and Year One actions that will guide implementation beginning this year.
“SRCD’s talented staff are eager to begin implementing this plan and to work closely with our members to continue building toward our mission of promoting the use of developmental research to improve children’s lives,” said Dr. Suzanne Le Menestrel, SRCD’s Executive Director.
A fuller description of the strategic plan can be found here.
