Joan Lombardi

Joan Lombardi serves as Adjunct Professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education and Senior Fellow at Georgetown University's Collaborative on Global Children's Issues, bringing over 50 years of leadership in child and family policy development at national and international levels.

Her distinguished career includes foundational roles as the first Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood during the Obama Administration and first Director of the Child Care Bureau under Clinton, alongside founding the Birth to Five Policy Alliance (now Alliance for Early Success). Current leadership positions encompass:

• Chair of Leadership Council, Stanford Center on Early Childhood
• Executive Leadership Council member, Early Childhood Development Action Network
• Chair, Global Policy and Advocacy Advisory Group (ECDAN)
• Co-Chair, Research Forum for Early Childhood in Emergencies
• Founder, Global Leaders for Young Children (World Forum Foundation)

Lombardi's research focuses on systemic redesign of early childhood care infrastructure, with emphasis on policy integration across education, family support, and community development. Her influential publications include the seminal book 'Time to Care: Redesigning Child Care to Promote Education, Support Families and Build Communities' and co-edited volume 'Beacon of Hope: The Promise of Early Head Start for America’s Youngest Children', establishing frameworks for evidence-based early intervention systems.

She actively advises UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, and World Bank Group while driving global initiatives through the Early Childhood Development Action Network to advance cross-border policy coordination and emergency response frameworks for young children.