Eunho Cha (She/her)

Welcome! I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of California, Irvine, School of Education.

I earned my Ph.D. in Social Welfare Policy from Columbia University in 2025.

My research examines how social policies shape children’s development and family well-being. I am particularly interested in the compensatory role of early childhood policies for socioeconomically disadvantaged children—how these policies influence the environments in which young children grow up and their lasting effects across the life course.

As part of a NICHD-funded project, a core line of my current work uses quasi-experimental methods to examine how state pre-kindergarten initiatives influence child and parental outcomes.

More broadly, I aim for my research to inform smart policy investments in early care and education that allow all children to thrive. I welcome opportunities for collaboration with colleagues, students, policymakers, and practitioners who share an interest in promoting equity through early childhood policy.

Email: eunho.cha@uci.edu

Recent Publications

Cha*, E., Lee*, J., & Tao*, S. (2023). Impact of the expanded child tax credit and its expiration on adult psychological well-being. Social Science & Medicine, 332, 116101.

Cha, E., & Yoo, J. P. (2024). Children’s time use patterns and subjective well-being in Asian countries. Child Indicators Research, 17(1), 445-481.

*equal author contribution

Recent Reports

Cha, E., Brooks-gunn, J., Neckerman, K., & Waldfogel, J. (2024). Child Care-Related Work Disruption in the Early Childhood Poverty Tracker. Robin Hood.

Cha, E., Brooks-gunn, J., Gandhi, J., Jia, Y., Maury, M., Neckerman, K., & Waldfogel, J. (2023). Spotlight on 3-K for All: New York City’s 3-K for All Supports Mothers’ Labor Force Participation. Robin Hood.