About
About CCF
The University of Texas at Dallas Center for Children and Families (CCF) is a research center where leading scholars and students generate knowledge and apply developmental science to service for children, families and professionals to advance children’s optimal development.
The center is directed by Dr. Mandy Maguire, whose research interests include the impact of home environment on children’s brain and language development and learning.
Faculty affiliates of the center conduct a broad array of research programs that examine environmental, social, cognitive and brain development in typical and atypical children, adolescents and adults. A skilled team of bilingual developmental specialists leads CCF’s outreach programming, with support from UT Dallas undergraduate and graduate student volunteers and interns. Our non-duplicative programming, collaborative partnerships and reputation for child and family expertise have grown steadily since our founding, contributing to the enhancement of healthy development for children and their families across North Texas.
History
The Center for Children and Families (CCF) at The University of Texas at Dallas was established in 2008 to couple cutting-edge child and family research in the UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences with outreach initiatives serving and supporting children and families in our broader community. Dean Bert Moore led the initiation of the Center, with a generous matching grant from The Meadows Foundation. Dean Moore selected Dr. Margaret T. Owen to lead CCF in 2009, and she served as its director until 2024.
In fall 2016, the Center offices moved from Green Hall to the Callier Center Richardson Addition.
Our Mission
The mission of the Center for Children and Families (CCF) at The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) is to advance the healthy development of children in our community and nation. We accomplish our mission through (1) research in human development with real-world impact, (2) educating future professionals, and (3) science-driven direct service to children and their families.
Our vision is to be a nationally-recognized research center where leading scholars and students generate new knowledge applied to service for children, families and professionals to advance children’s optimal development.
We believe in the power and worth of developmental science and relationship-centered practices to advance children’s development and mitigate the challenges families face.