Stephanie Kuntz

Stephanie is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the instructor of record for HDFS 220, Child Development: Prenatal to age 3. Previously, she taught HDFS 270, Families and Developmental Disabilities. She serves as the Vice President of the HDFS Graduate Student Association and co-coordinator of the Graduate student Development and Discovery series, and served as the department’s Senator on the University’s Graduate Student Government for two years. Stephanie comes to the University of Delaware with a Master of Science Degree in Child Development and a Bachelor of Science in Child Development with a Minor in Business Administration and Emphasis in Infant and Toddler Development from the University of La Verne. Previously, she worked at NAEYC accredited Child Development Centers and as an Early Intervention Home Visitor for children 0-3 with developmental delays or at high risk of developing them and their families. Stephanie also holds a Child Development Center Director Permit through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Her research interests relate to Children with disabilities, Parenting, Attachment, Resilience, Early Intervention, Home visiting, and Early Childhood Systems.

Recent Publications

• Buell, M., & Kuntz, S. (2024). Time Out as a Regulated and Specified Element of Child Care Licensing Policy: Are Policies Aligned with the Research Base?. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01699-5

• Buell, M., Kuntz, S., Whitaker, A., Hustedt, J., Slicker, G., & Woelki, W. (2024). Policy Integration and Alignment as a Strategy to Prevent Exclusionary Discipline in Early Care and Education Programs: A National Census. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 67, 191–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.12.009

• Buell, M., Fidel, R., Hustedt, J. T., Kuntz, S., & Slicker, G. (2022). Expulsion: A National Review of States’ Center-Based Child Care Licensing Exclusionary Discipline Regulations. Children and Youth Services Review, 141, 106623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106623

• Han, M., Novikova, E., Kuntz, S., Kouzeli, A. Davis, S., Santos, A., Harlan, M. (in press). Incorporating adult play in graduate education: Inspired by Brian Sutton-Smith, Play & Culture Studies V. 17. Lanham, Maryland: Hamilton Books
• Buell, M., Kuntz, S., Whitaker, A., Hustedt, J., Slicker, G., & Woelki, W. (in press). Policy Integration and Alignment as a Strategy to Prevent Exclusionary Discipline in Early Care and Education Programs: A National Census. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
• Buell, M., Fidel, R., Hustedt, J. T., Kuntz, S., & Slicker, G. (2022). Expulsion: A National Review of States’ Center-Based Child Care Licensing Exclusionary Discipline Regulations. Children and Youth Services Review, 106623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106623

Book Chapters

• Han, M., Novikova, E., Kuntz, S., Kouzeli, A. Davis, S., Santos, A., Harlan, M. (in press). Incorporating adult play in graduate education: Inspired by Brian Sutton-Smith, Play & Culture Studies V. 17. Lanham, Maryland: Hamilton Books

White Papers

• Kuntz, S., & Han, M. (2024). Play in Hospitals. International Play Association.

Recent Presentations

• Kuntz, S., & Buell, M. (2024, April 11-14). Policies on Restraint in Statewide Center-Based Child Care Licensing Regulations [Paper presentation]. In State and District Policies for Equitable Support of Young Children [Roundtable session]. American Educational Research Association. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. https://doi.org/10.3102/2106819

• Drain, D. D., Hallam, R., & Kuntz, S. (2023, April 28). Early Head Start Home Visitor Perceptions of Program Environment and Leadership [Paper presentation]. Steele Symposium, University of Delaware. Newark, Delaware.

• Buell, M., & Kuntz, S. (2023, April 13-16). Aligning States’ Center-Based Child Care Licensing Regulations and QRIS Standards Regarding Expulsion: A National Census [Paper presentation]. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, Illinois. https://doi.org/10.3102/2011407

• Buell, M., & Kuntz, S. (2024, June 24-26). A State Level Analysis of Connections between QRIS Standards and Child Care Licensing Standards Addressing Exclusionary Discipline in Center and Home-Based Programs: Gaps and Opportunities [Poster presentation]. In K. Giordano (Chair), “Never Did It Really Occur to Me That They Would Say ‘Go Find Someplace Else’” The Strengths and Limits of Policy Solutions to Expulsion [Poster symposium]. The Administration for Children and Families’ National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Arlington, Virginia.

• Fuller, D. D., Hallam, R., & Kuntz, S.  (2024, June 24-26). Home Visitor Perceptions of Work Environment, Leadership, and Job Satisfaction [Poster presentation]. The Administration for Children and Families’ National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Arlington, Virginia.

• Fuller, D. D., Hallam, R., & Kuntz, S.  (2024, June 24-26). Early Head Start Home Visitor Perceptions of Program Environment and Leadership: An Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative Results [Poster presentation]. The Administration for Children and Families’ National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Arlington, Virginia.

• Kuntz, S., & Buell, M. (2023, November 8-11). Parental Notification and Documentation Following use of Restraint in Child Care Licensing [Poster presentation]. National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference. Orlando, Florida.

• Drain, D. D., Hallam, R., & Kuntz, S. (2023, November 8-11). Early Head Start Home Visitor Perceptions of Program Environment and Leadership [Poster presentation]. National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference. Orlando, Florida.

• Buell, M., & Kuntz, S. (2023, July 16). Regulations on Exclusionary Discipline Practices for Children Under 3: A Census of U.S. Childcare Licensing [Poster Symposium]. 18th World Congress for the World Association for Infant Mental Health. Dublin, Ireland.

• Buell, M., & Kuntz, S. (2023, March 23-25). A National Review of Child Care Licensing Regulations on “Time-Out” [Poster presentation]. Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting. Salt Lake City, Utah.

• Buell, M., Hustedt, J., Fidel, R., Hallam, R., & Kuntz, S. (2022, June 27-29). The Expulsion Policy Landscape in State ECE Documents: Review of CCDF Plans, Childcare Licensing, Pre-K and QRIS [Poster presentation]. The Administration for Children and Families’ National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Virtual. 

Professional Experiences

• Instructor of Record, HDFS/SOCI 270, September 2022- Present
• Research Assistant, Early Head Start Home Visitor Perceptions of Program Environment and Leadership, Spring 2023-Present
• Research Assistant, Early Learner Survey, Summer 2022
• Research Assistant, Preventing Expulsion And Suspension Through Policy Alignment and Cohesion, Summer 2021, 2022, 2023, Winter 2023,
• Research Assistant, Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood, September 2021- May 2022
• Early Intervention Home Visitor, VIP Tots, Hemet, CA, January 2020 to July 2021
• Teacher, Fairplex Child Development Center, Pomona, CA, September 2018 to January 2020
• Substitute Teacher, The Walt Disney Company (Corporate), Burbank, CA, April 2018 to September 2018
• Staff Member, Stars of Tomorrow Children’s Theater, Redlands, CA, 2011 to 2017

Honors and Awards

• La Verne Grad Scholarship, University of La Verne, Fall 2020
• Summer Scholarship, University of La Verne, Summer 2020
• Dean’s List, University of La Verne, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019
• La Verne Grant, University of La Verne, Fall 2017 to Fall 2019
• Trustee Scholarship, University of La Verne, Fall 2017 to Fall 2019
• Cum Laude with University and Departmental Honors, University of La Verne, 2019

Professional Memberships

• California Early Care and Education Workforce Registry 2017-Current

Past Education

• M.S. Child Development, University of La Verne, 2020
• B.S. Child Development, University of La Verne, 2019
  • Graduated Cum Laude with University and Departmental Honors
  • Minor: Business Administration
  • Emphasis: Infant and Toddler Development