Topics That Matter
We study community trends and needs, and evaluate programs in a number of health and human service areas. Some of the areas in which we have unique or specialized information and research are:
Early Childhood
A child's early years are critical -- setting the stage for future success. Wilder Research provides a comprehensive picture of how young children and their parents in Minnesota are faring, with a special focus on low-income families. Our studies include the current state of children's health and well-being, child care use, and evaluations of the effectiveness of Minnesota's early childhood system.
More on Early Childhood in MinnesotaEducation
Research is clear that a high-quality, rigorous and relevant education is essential to prepare students for an increasingly complex and global economy, so they can become productive citizens. Our work focuses on addressing achievement and opportunity gaps for students who are most vulnerable: low-income students, students of color, and highly-mobile students.
Health
Quality of life in Minnesota is intrinsically tied to the health of its residents. Our work in this area looks at prevention, treatment, and root causes of poor health. It includes community assessments around healthy behaviors, needs, and services and evaluations of programs and initiatives addressing health concerns. We also cover issues such as quality of care, health disparities, and improving access to vulnerable populations.
Homelessness
Stable housing and supportive services can increase a person's potential for education and employment, and enable people who are ill or disabled to move forward with productive daily living. Through our triennial statewide study and ongoing shelter-system-use reports, we provide the most current and comprehensive information and data on homelessness in Minnesota.
Mental Health
Good mental health is as important as good physical health. Mental illness can impair people's ability to work, to raise their families, and to participate in civic life. Our work is focused on identifying factors that affect mental health, especially in low-income and immigrant populations; looking at mental health systems, and evaluating programs working to assist individuals with mental health issues.
More on Mental Health Older Adults
Between 2010 and 2030, the number of adults age 65+ is expected to nearly double. Our work is focused on identifying current and potential support systems and to examine their capacity to meet the growing population of older adults.