Our Research

Learning what makes a long-term, positive impact for families living abroad
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NEW Research in 2026!

The newest TCK research, When TCKs Feel Safe at School, will be released between January-March 2026. Learn more now!
Protective Factors That Improve Long Term Wellness in TCKs was released in September 2025. Learn how preventive care helps TCKs thrive!

Support our Research!

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Our work is entirely self-funded, with no corporate or academic backing. Without donor support, continuing this research simply isn’t possible. When you give, you’re actively advancing the future of TCK research.

What We've Learned...

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 Find these stats and more for free  ➡️ 

Research underpins everything we do at TCK Training. We build on existing research across disciplines in order to support holistic health of Third Culture Kids. From this foundation, our research bridges the gap to support a global understanding of TCKs.

Lauren wells | Founder & CEO

Quick Terms & Definitions

What is a White Paper?

A white paper is a deeply researched report on a specific topic that presents a solution to a problem within an industry.

What is a Research Report?

Our Research Reports are graphic-forward presentations of our research data, designed to be accessible to a wide range of people, including those who prefer to learn through visuals rather than through essay style writing. 

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

ACEs are widely researched potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). These experiences can vary from physical and emotional abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, and household dysfunction and challenges. Research on these events continue to prove that an increased number of ACEs are linked to negative health outcomes over the course of the lifespan.

Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)

PCEs are experiences during childhood (0-17 years) that promote safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments. Research shows that the presence of PCEs have the ability to counteract the harmful long-term effects caused by ACEs.

Our Research & Methodology

Preliminary Findings from our 2024 Survey launched in January 2025. Learn more about the latest research below:

Build on Established Research

including studies on wellbeing, mental health, prevention science, resilience, global mobility, TCK experiences,

Contextualize data for global TCKs

Research how the findings of other research applies to TCKs, asking both "are these factors present?" and "do they have the same impact?"

Freely share our findings with the community

In the form of workshops, white papers, articles, blog posts, podcasts, and more, we do research to share research!
Methodology
  • Our survey respondents are self-selecting (non-random).
  • Our surveys are scrutinized by industry professionals.

Research-Based Resources

While all of our resources are research-informed, these resources specifically dive into our research and explain how these insights can be applied to serve the TCK community.
You can purchase Research-Based TCK Care 101 & 201 separately or together as a bundle for a discount!

Research-Based Blog Posts

You may also like to read our article on Seven Reasons for Hope: A Foundation for TCK Care, which outlines why we  believe a TCK upbringing can wonderful, even at the same time that we advise preventive care.

by Sending Affiliation

by Educational Experience

Featured on...

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Our research on TCKs and Adverse Childhood Experiences has also been featured in a number of external publications. We have arranged these features into four categories below: resources for adult TCKs, parents & caregivers, resources for educators, and resources for/about missionary kids. There is some overlap between categories, but hopefully this will help you quickly find helpful information discussing and applying our research. 
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Adult TCKs



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Parents & Caregivers

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Educators


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Missionary Kids