Doré R. LaForett specializes in child development and the educational experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse young children and families; contexts that influence children’s academic and social-emotional development; educational, social-behavioral, and family-focused interventions; and early care and education programs.

As a mixed methods researcher, Dr. LaForett is committed to advancing the well-being of children and families though scientific knowledge that is ecologically valid, developmentally focused, and aligned with a racial equity approach. Currently, she is principal investigator (PI) of a descriptive study funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) examining associations between language of instruction and K-3rd grade students’ academic outcomes in Spanish-English dual language educational settings; and co-PI on the program performance evaluation (PPE) for North Carolina’s Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five. Previously, Dr. LaForett was PI on a secondary analysis study funded by the Office of Planning, Research, & Evaluation examining Head Start’s family support services, and on a foundation-funded study to validate a clinic-developed measure of child/youth resiliency using clinical interviewing techniques. She also served as an external evaluator on two Head Start national technical assistance centers: the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement and the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning.

Prior to joining Child Trends in 2019, Dr. LaForett conducted research for more than 10 years at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a licensed psychologist, she has extensive experience in child assessment and evidence-based practices and served as an early childhood mental health consultant in Head Start classrooms for over 10 years. Dr. LaForett was previously an appointed member of the North Carolina Early Childhood Advisory Council and is currently the chair of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Latinx Caucus. She is an associate editor for the Journal of Early Intervention and is on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Marriage and Family.