With heavy hearts, the Board of Directors and staff of APSAC are saddened to share the passing of Dr. Deborah Daro, PhD – past APSAC President (95-96), long-standing APSAC member and past Board Member, dedicated APSAC Prevention Advisory Committee member, and true pioneer of the field. APSAC honors Dr. Daro’s remarkable legacy child abuse prevention and improving child well-being.
Dr. Deborah Daro, Senior Research Fellow Emeritus at Chapin Hall, passed away on August 18, 2025. Daro was recognized as a leading expert on child abuse prevention and early home visiting. She demonstrated how early intervention programs help parents, support child development, and protect children in diverse communities.
Throughout her career, Dr. Daro served in many capacities with APSAC, including Founding Member, Board Member, Board President (1995-1996), member of the Prevention Advisory Committee, presenter, and dedicated supporter. In a 2022 interview in the APSAC Advisor for APSAC’s 35th Anniversary, Dr. Daro discussed the innovation, relationship-building, and interdisciplinary work that she participated in throughout her career.
In her later career, Daro focused on strategies that combined individualized prevention efforts with broader community initiatives to shift norms and improve child well-being. She founded and directed the Doris Duke Fellowships for the Promotion of Child Well-Being, mentoring a national network of 120 young scholars in translating research into meaningful policy and practice.
Across four decades, she led numerous multisite evaluations using diverse research methods and championed a balanced approach to efficacy and effectiveness studies to strengthen evidence-based program replication. Her leadership earned her roles on national advisory boards and multiple awards recognizing her impact in child abuse prevention.
Read more about Dr. Daro’s legacy shared by Chapin Hall & Dr. Daro’s interview in the APSAC Advisor.