Rachel Chazan Cohen

Associate Professor

Dr. Cohen is accepting graduate student applicants for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Please visit Drs. Cohen and Lombardi’s Applied Research on Children (ARC) Lab website.

Educational Background:

Ph.D., Psychology, Yale University

M.A., Child Study, Tufts University

B.A., Psychology, University of Pennsylvania

Professional Interests:

  • Biological, relational, and environmental factors influencing infant and toddler development
  • Evaluation and improvement of programs for families with infants and toddlers, including home visiting, child care, and Early Head Start
  • Processes through which whole child: whole family programs like Head Start have long-term positive effects for children
  • Building competencies of the early childhood workforce, both child care and home visiting
  • Effects of public policies on parents and children
  • Connecting research, practice and policy in early childhood

Selected Professional Accomplishments/Projects:

  • Evaluation of CT Start Early, grant from the CT Office of Early Childhood. 2023-2026.
  • Understanding How Early Head Start Contributes to Long-term Social Emotional Outcomes for Black Children, grant from the Office of Planning Research & Evaluation, ACF, DHHS. 2022-2024
  • Local Evaluation Partner, Educare Springfield, 2022-
  • Parent Engagement Evaluator, EASTCONN Head Start 2021-
  • First 5 California Home Visiting Workforce Study, contract funded by First 5 California, 2020-2024
  • Massachusetts Early Educator Competency Measurement, contract funded by the state of Massachusetts, 2019-2021
  • The Early Intervention Partnerships Program (EIPP) Evaluation, contract funded by the state of Massachusetts, 2018-2021
  • National Research Conference on Early Childhood, Scientific Director, 2015-
  • Network of Infant Toddler Researchers, Coordinator, 2012-
  • Testing the efficacy of Early Head Start in preventing child maltreatment:  A 15-year longitudinal study, 2012-2017
  • Evaluation of Early Steps to School Success, 2011-2019

Selected Publications

Lippard, C.N., Vallotton, C.D., Fusaro, M., Chazan-Cohen, R., Peterson, C.A., Kim, L., Cook, G.A. & CUPID. (2024, in press). Practice Matters: How Practicum Experiences Change Student Beliefs. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education.

Fisk, E. & Chazan-Cohen, R. (2024, in press). Rural resource: The role of distance and community for families with toddlers in rural areas. Children and Libraries, 22(2), 6-13.

Chazan-Cohen, R., Von Ende, A., & Lombardi, C. (2023). Parenting and family self-sufficiency within Early Head Start. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1302687.

Raikes, H., Chazan-Cohen, R., Harden, B.J., Byrd, J.J., Svoboda, E., Welch, G., Esteraich, J., Deming, J., Drouin, A. & Escalante, E. (2023). Evidence of the Effectiveness of a Home Visiting Model in Rural Communities: Early Steps to School Success. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 63, 299-312.

Vallotton, C., Roggman, L., Brophy-Herb, H, & Chazan-Cohen, R. (2022). Working Well with Babies. Redleaf press.

Heberle, A.E. & Chazan-Cohen, R. (2022). Longitudinal and Reciprocal Relations Among Parent and Child Outcomes for Black Early Head Start Families, Early Education and Development, DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2022.2045461

Green, B.L., Ayoub, C., Bartlett, J.D., Furrer, C., Chazan-Cohen, R., Buttita, K., Von Ende, A., Koepp, A. & Regalbuto, E. (2020). Pathways to Prevention:  Early Head Start Outcomes in the First Three Years Lead to Long-Term Reductions in Child Maltreatment.

Vallotton, C., Chazan-Cohen, R., Cook, G., Decker, K., Gardner-Neblett, N. & Harerood, T. (2019). The Collaborative for Understanding the Pedagogy of Infant/toddler Development: A Cross-University, Interdisciplinary Effort to Transform a Field through SOTL. In Applying the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning beyond the Individual Classroom Level, J. Friberg & K. McKinney, Eds.

Chazan Cohen, R., Harwood, T., Vallotton, C., Buell, M. (2017). Exploring links between state policies and higher education early childhood education programs. In J. White and C. Dalli (Ed.), Policy and Pedagogy for Under Threes. Springer Press.

Roggman, L.A., Peterson, C.A., Chazan-Cohen, R., Ispa, J., Decker, K., Hughes-Belding, K., Cook, G.A. & Vallotton, C.D. (2016) Preparing Home Visitors to Partner with Families of Infants and Toddlers. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 37(4): 301-313.

Zinsser, K., Dedham, S., Curby, T., Chazan Cohen, R. Early Childhood Directors as Socializers of Emotional Climate (2016). Learning Environments Research, 19: 267.

Vallotton, C., Torquati, J., Ispa, J., Chazan Cohen, R., Henk, J., Fusaro, M., Petterson, C., Roggman, L., Stacks, A., Cook, G., Brophy-Herb, H. (2016) Understanding future infant/toddler professionals: Attachment predicts college students’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills for working with infants, toddlers, and families. Early Education and Development,
27(2), 275-302.

Green, B. L., Ayoub, C., Dym-Bartlett, J., VonEnde, A., Furrer, C., Chazan-Cohen, R. Vallotton, C., & Klevens, J. (2015). The effect of Early Head Start on child welfare system involvement:  A first look at longitudinal child maltreatment outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review, 42, 127-135.

Raikes, H. H., Roggman, L. A., Peterson, C. A., Constantine, J., Brooks-Gunn, J., Chazan-Cohen, R., Jones-Harden, B., & Shiffman, R (2014). Theories of change and outcomes in Early Head Start home-based programs. Manuscript submitted for publication. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(4), 649–659.

Brady-Smith, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Tamis-LeMonda, C.S., Ispa, J.M., Fuligni, A.S., Chazan-Cohen, R., and Fine, M.A. (2013).  Mother-Infant Interactions in Early Head Start:
A Person-Oriented Within-Ethnic Group Approach. Parenting: Science and Practice, 13(1), 27-43.

Brooks-Gunn, J., Love, J.M., Raikes, H.H., & Chazan-Cohen, R. (2013). What makes a difference: Early Head Start evaluation findings in a developmental context. Conclusions and implications. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 78(1), 130-143.

Chazan-Cohen, R. (2013). Striking a positive note with the PICCOLO. Infant Mental Health Journal, 34(4), 363-365

Chazan-Cohen, R., Kisker, E.E., Raikes, H.H., Love, J.M., Klute, M.M. & Faldowski, R. (2013). Links between early care and education experiences birth to age 5 on prekindergarten outcomes.  Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 78(1), 110-129.

Chazan-Cohen, R., Raikes, H.H., Vogel, C. & Klute, M.M. (2013). Program Subgroups: Patterns of Impacts for Home-Based, Center-Based, and Mixed-Approach Programs. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 78(1), 93-109.

Harden, B.J., Chazan-Cohen, R., Raikes, H.H., & Vogel, C (2012). Early Head Start Home Visitation: Role of Implementation in Bolstering Program Benefits. Journal of Community Psychology, 40(4), 438-455.

Harden, B.J., Sandstrom, H., & Chazan-Cohen, R. (2012). Early Head Start and African American families: Impacts and mechanisms of child outcomes. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27(4), 572-581.

Chazan-Cohen, R., Raikes, H., Brooks-Gunn, J., Ayoub, C., Pan, B. A., Kisker, E. E., Roggman, L. A., & Fuligni, A. S. (2009). Low-income Children’s School Readiness: Parent Contributions Over the First Five Years. Early Education and Development, 20(6), 958-977.

Chazan-Cohen, R., Ayoub, C., Pan, B.A., Roggman, L., Raikes, H., McKelvey, L., Whteside-Mansell, L., and Hart, A. (2007). It takes time: Impacts of Early Head Start that lead to reductions in maternal depression two years later.  Infant Mental Heath Journal, 28(2), 151-170.

 

 

Rachel Chazen Cohen