CDI is committed to providing services that are accountable, responsive to the unique needs of each child, and effective in helping to support healthy child development. As part of that commitment, CDI’s services are based on a scientist-practitioner philosophy where science informs practice and practice informs science. Through strong collaborations between researchers and the staff who work directly with your family, we build on existing evidence about what works so we can develop innovative approaches to service that we then monitor for quality and effectiveness. We are continually learning together and with your family about how to make services the best they can be.

In order to further impact the broader field of child development, we work in partnership with renowned research experts at national and international universities, to co-develop applied social research projects in many different areas such as parenting; early child development; family violence; mindfulness; and childhood aggression and antisocial behaviour. The knowledge uncovered through these projects is shared widely through publications, conferences, and most importantly in meetings with staff and families where we figure out how to use the knowledge to improve our services.

We are fortunate to have a number of talented students who complete research projects and placements with us each year. These students bring new and exciting ideas to CDI and they help us to think critically about the work we do together.

As a result of our emphasis on research and evaluation, CDI is developing a critical body of knowledge that informs our work so that we can provide the highest quality services.