Improving the Lives of Individuals and Families
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NEWS
HDFS Graduate Student Selected for SRCD Scholars Program
Aida Ismailova, a doctoral student in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, was selected to be 2025 cohort scholar for the Towards 2044.
Mizzou HDFS Students Earn National Awards at NCFR 2025
I Dewa Ayu Dwika Puspita Dewi, a Fulbright Scholar and PhD student working with Dr. Brenda Lohman, received the Family Policy Section Feldman Best Conference Proposal Award for a student.
RISE-MO Expands Expert Support for Missouri’s Early Childhood Workforce
RISE-MO—Recruit, Inspire, Support the Early Childhood Profession in Missouri—is a new initiative designed to expand and strengthen Missouri’s early childhood education workforce.
Welcome to HDFS
Welcome to the Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) at the University of Missouri. The University of Missouri is a comprehensive research-intensive university and the first public university established west of the Mississippi River. We are very proud of the long and storied traditions at Mizzou and our department is a strong entity within the university and the College of Education and Human Development.
Explore our site and learn more about the mission of HDFS.
HDFS in the Community
The Center for Family Policy and Research (CFPR) was established in 1997 to serve as a resource for the development of effective public policies relating to children, youth, and families. The center also maintains a focus on the integration of research, policy, and practice.
The MU Child Development Lab provides exemplary care and education for infants and young children. Several HDFS courses, and at least one course from Education, utilize the CDL as a teacher-training site.
Focus on Kids is a program for separating and divorcing parents that was developed by MU faculty. It is offered in more than 50 Missouri counties. Over 32,000 Missouri parents have attended FOK since 1996. An online version of Focus on Kids was launched in 2010.
HDFS Advancing Research
Improving Health and Well-Being Across the Lifespan
- Early Childhood & Child Development
- Youth Development & Emerging Adulthood
- Adult Development & Aging
Understanding Individual and Contextual Variations in Development and Relationships
- Race, Ethnicity, & Cultural Contexts and Influences
- Context of Sexuality and Gender in Development and Families
- Influence of Education, Socioeconomic Status, and Family Policies
Strengthening Relationships
- Intimate & Romantic Relationships
- Parent-Child & Sibling Relationships
- Youth, Families & Health
- Family Structure & Process