About Us

Meet Dr. Leslie Fox

Dr. Leslie Fox has spent her career helping young children and their families thrive, especially those with developmental delays, disabilities, and mental health or behavioral needs. Leslie brings more than 30 years of experience working across home, school, early learning, and childcare settings. She’s known nationally for her expertise in program evaluation, systems alignment, evidence-based practices and implementation science—in addition to her deep commitment to making research and policy meaningful for programs and providers at all levels across different communities.

Leslie has worked in homes, schools, early learning centers, and military communities, each one shaping how she understands what children and families truly need. She served at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), where she supported states implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), specifically overseeing their annual State Systemic Improvement Plans.

She continues to serve as a Senior Advisor for Part C technical assistance at the Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting (CIFR), and leads a five-year OSEP-funded model demonstration project focused on strengthening child find systems for infants and toddlers.

Dr. Fox's journey began as an early intervention specialist, first in Texas, and then with the Educational and Developmental Intervention Service (EDIS), supporting military families in Sicily and Spain. Since then, Leslie has mentored countless students and professionals in education and developmental psychology, always centering families, collaboration and practical impact. Dr. Fox holds a Master’s degree in Brain and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas, and earned her PhD in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Leslie brings heart and strategy to everything she does—whether she’s shaping national policy, advancing state systems, or supporting providers and practitioners on the ground.