Margaret Bridges
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Margaret Bridges
Senior Research Scientist, Institute of Human Development,
University of California, Berkeley
Margaret Bridges is a developmental psychologist and senior research scientist at the Institute of Human Development (IHD) at the University of California, Berkeley. She leads the UCB Early Development and Learning Science Program, a transdisciplinary initiative focused on children from the prenatal period to age eight. Bridges’ research examines how family relationships and preschool environments influence young children’s social-emotional development and early academic skills. She also explores strategies to support families in preparing their children for school. Bridges earned her MA in developmental psychology from the University of Virginia, and her PhD in developmental psychology from the University of Virginia.
updated 2025
Publications by Margaret Bridges
Ideals, Evidence, and Policy Options
Many California children benefit from preschooling, but enrollment rates are lower for poor and working-class families. Quality is uneven, and policy makers must address key questions regarding expanding and improving preschooling, including who…
Promising Benefits, Unequal Access
This policy brief examines how California's education governance has shifted from local control to centralized, administrative accountability over the past 30 years, including changes in school finance. It primarily focuses on categorical program…
Implementation of Training and Retention Initiatives in the Bay Area
The early care and education (ECE) profession faces staffing problems due to understaffed centers, high turnover rates, and an educationally bifurcated workforce. To mitigate this issue, programs like the California Childcare Retention Incentive (…
Bay Area Childcare Retention Incentive Programs Evaluation—Year One Progress Report, 2001–02
The First 5 California Children and Families Commission has funded the Childcare Retention Incentive (CRI) to improve the quality of early care and education (ECE) staff training and retention. An evaluation funded by First 5 California assesses the…