MARK CHAFFIN CENTER FOR HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT
The Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development is committed to promoting the health, safety and well-being of children, adults and families through research, service, education, training and advocacy. The center brings scientific innovation into the everyday lives of people and their communities through translational and implementation research.
Kathleen Baggett, interim director of the Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development, is an associate professor in the Division of Health Promotion and Behavior in the School of Public Health. Her research is focused on developing and evaluating innovative interventions for improving caregiver practices that promote pivotal competencies of very young children to optimize life course trajectories. Most notably, she has developed remote coaching interventions that have successfully engaged highly vulnerable families, early intervention teachers and home visitors.
The Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development seeks to prevent and redress child maltreatment, reduce family violence and improve the lives of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Its research goals include:
- Improving service delivery
- Reducing disparities
- Enhancing systemic and workforce capacities
- Advancing implementation science
- Protecting children
- Evaluating quality of life for individuals and families
- Serving as a national leader in collaborations among evidence-based programs in child maltreatment prevention and intellectual and developmental disabilities
The Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development houses the Center for Leadership in Disability, the National SafeCare® Training and Research Center and Prevent Child Abuse Georgia.