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Year of Healthy Children and Families
Year of Healthy Children and Families
College of Health
College of Health announces “Year of Children and Families”
Join in celebrating the OSU Child Development Center’s centennial and the
Hallie Ford Center’s 15th anniversary
In 2026, the College of Health celebrates a century of helping give children the best start in life. For 100 years, the OSU Child Development Center has served local children and families while preparing future early childhood educators and serving as a living laboratory for child researchers.
At the same time, the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families is celebrating its 15th year promoting the development and well-being of children, youth and families by generating, translating and sharing research-based knowledge that impacts people across Oregon and beyond.
Events
Events supporting healthy children and families.
- April 10: Beyond Gamification: Using Robots to Unlock the Power of People Through Play
- May 29: 2026 Schild Nicholson Neurodiversity Lecture “The Enduring Impact of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Research Examining Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders at Midlife
- October: 2026 Campbell Lecture
- TBD: HFC 15-year celebration
- TBD: CDC 100th anniversary celebration
Dedicated to Healthy Children and Families
These College of Health centers and programs are committed to improving children’s health and well-being.
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Hallie E. Ford Center
The Hallie E. Ford Center at OSU promotes child and family well-being through research, training and outreach. Interdisciplinary approach serving Oregon and beyond.
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OSU Child Development Center
The OSU Child Development Center discovers and disseminates knowledge that contributes to the optimal development and well-being of young children and their families. It is the only program in Oregon that provides student teaching in a combined Head Start and tuition paying prekindergarten lab setting.
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HFC centers, programs and groups
The Hallie E. Ford Center houses research centers, programs, and faculty groups focused on early childhood, parenting education, family policy, and children's environmental health.
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IMPACT & IMPACT for Life
IMPACT is a physical activity program for children, youth and young adults with disabilities.
IMPACT for Life is a transitioning service program offshoot from IMPACT and integrates adults with disabilities into community physical activity opportunities including local gyms, swim clubs and indoor rock climbing
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Extension Family and Community Health
Housed on campus and in communities across the state, College of Health faculty funded by OSU Extension Family and Community Health partner in communities to promote healthy nutrition, food safety and security, physical activity, behavioral/mental health and well-being, emergency preparedness, community resilience and more.
Good News and Stories
College of Health researchers have documented significant improvements in child care availability across Oregon, with only nine of the state's 36 counties now considered preschool child care deserts, according to a new report commissioned by the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care.
Associate Professor Kelly Chandler authored a chapter in the forthcoming book "Work-Family Ready: Navigating Your Job While Parenting Teens," published by Parent Ready! The book aims to help working parents and their employers better navigate the challenges of work-family fit during the teen years.
The 2PLAY lab partnered with the Hallie E. Ford Center to host the 2025 Pacific Northwest Regional Sport Psychology Conference on April 25-26. More than 40 attendees from over 10 universities visited campus for the weekend event.
The Hallie E. Ford Center at OSU receives new funding to launch a children’s app developed from the “Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders” measure and an endowed lecture series on brain injury and neurodiversity, supporting families, educators and the community.
Professor Brad Cardinal contributed to a commentary/viewpoint jointly issued by the National Academy of Kinesiology and the American Kinesiology Association. The brief three-page article highlights five areas in which the science of physical activity and exercise is clear, and it urges continued federal support.
A new tool for measuring resilience in young children has been developed by Shannon Lipscomb, Alexis Merculief, and Beth Phelps, supporting early childhood development by providing a reliable assessment method.