The Conference on Child Development and Family Studies (CDFS) aims to bring together diverse academic fields—including social sciences, education, communication, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience—to address shared concerns surrounding child development, child education, family life, and family education. Serving as a collaborative platform, CDFS fosters meaningful dialogue and exchange among researchers and practitioners across these disciplines. It seeks to promote a dynamic, two-way interaction between empirical research grounded in social phenomena and evidence-based practices, ultimately contributing to both theoretical advancement and practical implementation.

While child development and family education have long attracted the attention of scholars and professionals, discussions in these areas are often framed within the boundaries of individual disciplines. This separation between fields can limit the potential to explore complex issues through more diverse, interdisciplinary perspectives. CDFS responds to this gap by intentionally creating space for cross-disciplinary integration and collaboration. As one of the few academic gatherings in Taiwan dedicated specifically to child development and family education, CDFS distinguishes itself by promoting the convergence of varied academic and professional viewpoints. By drawing on a broad spectrum of research approaches and practical experiences, the conference is designed to generate new momentum for groundbreaking developments in both theory and practice. To achieve these goals, CDFS is organized around two main components:

1. Keynote speeches by leading scholars from Taiwan and abroad, addressing emerging issues in child development and family education from a broad, integrative perspective;

2. Open calls for submissions for symposiums, oral presentations, and poster sessions, offering opportunities for researchers, students, and practitioners to share their latest findings and engage in scholarly exchange.

The Conference on Child Development and Family Studies (CDFS) aims to bring together diverse academic fields—including social sciences, education, communication, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience—to address shared concerns surrounding child development, child education, family life, and family education. Serving as a collaborative platform, CDFS fosters meaningful dialogue and exchange among researchers and practitioners across these disciplines. It seeks to promote a dynamic, two-way interaction between empirical research grounded in social phenomena and evidence-based practices, ultimately contributing to both theoretical advancement and practical implementation.

While child development and family education have long attracted the attention of scholars and professionals, discussions in these areas are often framed within the boundaries of individual disciplines. This separation between fields can limit the potential to explore complex issues through more diverse, interdisciplinary perspectives. CDFS responds to this gap by intentionally creating space for cross-disciplinary integration and collaboration. As one of the few academic gatherings in Taiwan dedicated specifically to child development and family education, CDFS distinguishes itself by promoting the convergence of varied academic and professional viewpoints. By drawing on a broad spectrum of research approaches and practical experiences, the conference is designed to generate new momentum for groundbreaking developments in both theory and practice. To achieve these goals, CDFS is organized around two main components:

1. Keynote speeches by leading scholars from Taiwan and abroad, addressing emerging issues in child development and family education from a broad, integrative perspective;

2. Open calls for submissions for symposiums, oral presentations, and poster sessions, offering opportunities for researchers, students, and practitioners to share their latest findings and engage in scholarly exchange.

Research on early childhood development has seen significant advancements in the 21st century, emerging as a field of shared interest across multiple disciplines, including psychology, education, sociology, economics, medicine, public health, and biology. Reflecting this interdisciplinary focus, many advanced countries in Europe and North America have established large-scale longitudinal databases that follow representative cohorts of children over time. These efforts aim to uncover developmental trajectories in early childhood and examine how various environmental and experiential factors—such as family, education, policy, and culture—influence children's growth and well-being.

In Taiwan, a parallel initiative is underway. Funded by the National Science and Technology Council, the Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development and Care (KIT) launched in March 2016. This project began collecting nationally representative data from two key cohorts: infants aged 3 months (KIT-M3) and children aged 3 years (KIT-M36). In April 2019, the first wave of bilingual (Chinese-English) data from KIT-M36 was made publicly available through the Survey Research Data Archive (SRDA) at Academia Sinica: https://srda.sinica.edu.tw/search/metadata/detail/D00168.

This conference builds on these developments by fostering scholarly exchange and interdisciplinary dialogue. In addition to invited talks by experts in early childhood development and survey research, the program includes poster presentations of selected studies. These contributions address a wide range of topics, including children’s health, cognitive and language development, socio-emotional growth, and analyses of family and childcare environments.

Government efforts in recent years have further underscored the importance of this field. A series of policies—including parenting and childcare subsidies, expanded public care services for infants, and free early education—reflect a strong commitment to fostering a supportive environment for young children. This conference not only advances academic research but also highlights the practical implications of the KIT study. By disseminating its findings, it provides valuable guidance for parents and serves as a key resource for policymakers working on child health, welfare, family support, childcare, and early intervention initiatives.

December 20, 2014 (Sat.)

Room 114, Bo-Ai Building, Special Education Center, NTNU (https://goo.gl/maps/efjbh)

Department of Human Development & Family Studies, NTNU; Center for Educational Research and Evaluation, NTNU

Family Research & Development Center, NTNU; National Taiwan Normal University

Ministry of Science and Technology; College of Education, NTNU

A pilot study for this project was conducted from October 2013 to March 2014, involving a sample survey of young children in New Taipei City at seven age points—6, 12, 15, 18, 24, 36, and 54 months—to examine their development, as well as their family and caregiving environments and experiences. Given the valuable insights gained from this pilot study, the research team plans to host the Conference on the Pilot Study of the Child Development Database, inviting experts and researchers from diverse fields—such as early childhood education, family education, special education, social work, counseling psychology, sociology, health education, and neonatology—to share their perspectives and engage in interdisciplinary dialogue. The conference will highlight essential components of the Child Development Database project, including its background, theoretical underpinnings, research objectives, study framework, sampling methodology, and data collection approach. In addition, the team will present analyses based on questionnaire data gathered during the pilot, exploring key areas such as children’s health; cognitive, language, and socio-emotional development; physical and motor growth; and the influence of family and caregiving settings. By participating in this conference, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the project's significance and practical value, learn effective ways to utilize the database for research on child development, and engage in meaningful discussions on strategies to maximize its long-term impact and utility.