Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development Policy Bench
Welcome to the Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development (FMIHD) Policy Bench, administered in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto.
Recent highlights
New Policy Bench Report: Effects of School Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Achievement Gaps and Learning Inequalities
A new report was published in July 2021 examining evidence on academic achievement gaps and learning loss in relation to school closures – including relevant literature prior to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as emerging studies on the short- and long-term effects of recent school closures in the current context of the pandemic.
- Read the literature review
- Read the policy implications brief
RSC Policy Briefing: Time to be Counted: COVID-19 and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted the lives of people with intellectual & developmental disabilities. Researchers from the Policy Bench collaborated with members of the Royal Society for Canada Task Force on COVID-19 to produce this policy briefing with a series of evidence-informed recommendations.
Call to Action: Let the Children Play
This call to action was created in a partnership between Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST), The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and researchers from the Policy Bench at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
From Research to Impact: A Toolkit for Developing Effective Policy Briefs
This toolkit, developed at the request of the Leong Centre for Healthy Children’s Advisory Committee provides an informative guide for researchers on the development of effective policy briefs to communicate research findings to policymakers.