Policies

Policies are often overlooked as means of changing young peoples’ development. However, policies can help to reduce poverty, increase social cohesion, create a safer environment, enhance schools, and provide support for parents. We have summarized the scientific evidence for policies impacting diverse measures of child, family, and neighborhood wellbeing. From this literature, we have constructed menus of feasible, evidence-based policy options for dissemination to communities. Each policy brief includes a rationale for the policy, a summary of what the policy can help to achieve, and two community examples, including links to policy language.

Evidence-Based Policies Meeting Criteria for Effectiveness

Given the high quality and quantity of evidence currently available for these policies, the PNRC recommends use of these policies at this time.

Domain	Policy Name	Developmental Phases
Education	School Vocational Training Programs	Adolescence
Education	Sexual Health Education and Contraceptive Interventions	Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Education	Compliance with Nutrition Standards for School Lunch Programs	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Smaller Classroom Sizes	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Child Mental Health Programs	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Education	Mentoring Programs	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Education	After-School Programs with Academic Support Services	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Modified School Calendars	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Volunteer Tutoring Programs	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Education	School-Based Efforts to Reduce Bullying	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Workplace	Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Child Mental Health Programs	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Community	Water Fluoridation	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Alcohol Outlet Density	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Urban Design and Land Use Policies	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Access to Affordable (or Free) Quality Childcare Services	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood
Community	Mentoring Programs	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Volunteer Tutoring Programs	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Enforcement of Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) Laws	Adolescence
Community	Hours of Sale for Alcohol	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Alcoholic Beverages Excise Taxes	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Limiting Alcohol Advertising	Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Community	Prisoner Re-Entry	Emerging Adulthood
Community	Bicycle Helmet Use	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Community	Affordable Housing: Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Programs	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Community Smoking Prevention Programs	Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Community	Community-based Participatory Research	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Alternatives to Incarceration	Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Community	Safety Belt Laws and Enforcement	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Early Childhood Health Promotion	Early Childhood
Community	Tobacco Excise Taxes	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Access to Places for Physical Activity	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Effective Drug Law Enforcement	Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Community	Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) Programs	Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Neighborhood Watch Programs	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Tobacco-Free Policies (Smoke-free workplaces, restaurants, and other public places)	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Enforcement of Tobacco Sales Laws	Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Family	Prisoner Re-Entry	Emerging Adulthood
Family	Child Mental Health Programs	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Family	Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Family	Home Visiting Programs	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence
Other Neighborhood-level	Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood

Policies with Consistent Evidence from High-Quality Observational Studies

Given the high quality and quantity of evidence currently available for these policies, the PNRC recommends use of these policies at this time.

Domain	Policy Name	Developmental Phases
Education	Teacher Performance-Related Pay Programs	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	School Funding	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs)	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Need-based Grants for Higher Education	Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Education	School-day Start Time	Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Farm to School Programs	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Workplace	Living Wage Ordinances	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Workplace	Anti-Discrimination and Diversity Policies	Emerging Adulthood
Workplace	Active Labor Market Policies (ALMPs)	Emerging Adulthood
Workplace	Limiting Pesticide Exposure in Workers	Emerging Adulthood
Community	Area-wide traffic calming for preventing traffic related injuries	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Community-based Arts Programs	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Access to Quality Healthcare for Children	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood
Community	Condom Subsidies and Social Marketing Programs	Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Point of Purchase Nutrition Strategies	Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Pool fencing	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood
Family	Pool fencing	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood

Insufficient Evidence Available

Domain	Policy Name	Developmental Phases
Education	Voucher Programs and School Choice	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	School Grade Configuration (K-8 vs. Middle School Configuration)	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Condom Availability in Schools	Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	School Breakfast Programs	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence
Education	Standards-based Accountability or Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Charter Schools	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	School Music Programs	Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	Early College Programs	Adolescence
Community	Social Host Liability and Keg Registration	Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	In-Community Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Centers
Community	In-Community Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Centers	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Mixed-Income Housing	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Community Policing	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Enterprise Zones	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Community-Driven Development	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Transportation Policies	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Supermarket Access in Low-income Communities	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Firearms Policies	Emerging Adulthood
Community	Independent Living Programs for Young People Leaving the Care System	Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Community	Food Pricing Strategies: Taxes and Subsidies	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Prenatal, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Family	Mental Health Services for Parents	Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood
Family	Home Nursing Services for Children	Early Childhood, Childhood

Consistent Evidence that Policy is Not Effective

Domain	Policy Name	Developmental Phases
Education	Zero Tolerance Policy	Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Adolescence, Adolescence
Education	College Tuition Rates	Emerging Adulthood
Community	Transfer of Juvenile Offenders to Adult Justice System	Early Adolescence, Adolescence