Caroline Roben is an experienced leader, researcher, clinician, and strategist in early childhood and child care evidence-based practices, systems, and funding environments. Before joining MDRC in 2025, Roben was a program officer with Vanguard’s philanthropic Strong Start for KidsTM Program. She led the team’s impact measurement efforts and managed a place-based portfolio that prioritized early relational health and equity in supporting caregivers in parenting and early literacy, connecting to early childhood systems and learning opportunities, and accessing community resources.
Prior to joining Vanguard, Roben spent 10 years at the University of Delaware, directing the implementation and program evaluation of the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), a national, evidence-based home visiting program for infants and their families. Under her guidance, the organization moved from partnering with only a few small communities and research institutions to reaching a community of implementation partners, supervisors, and home visitors across 24 states and 8 international locations.
Roben completed her doctoral degree at the Pennsylvania State University, with a clinical internship specializing in early childhood and community systems from the University of North Carolina and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Harvard University.