The EADP was founded in 1994 after numerous and active debates had taken place, in the ten years before 1994 under the impetus of G. Butterworth and S. Jackson. The foundation arose from the experience of managing biennial European Conferences on Developmental Psychology as regional conferences of the ISSBD (the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development). The European Association (originally: European Society) was considered as a “chapter” of the ISSBD. The first Conference was held in Groningen (1984), subsequent ones in Rome (1986), Budapest (1988), Stirling (1990), Seville (1992), Bonn (1993) and Cracow (1995). The raising number of participants and the quality of the contributions as well as the process of European Construction have led naturally to the idea of a separate organization, of a new society “of its own”. Since the VIIIth conference (Rennes in 1997) the European Conferences on Developmental Psychology are now held under the official auspices of the EADP; the last 8 conferences were in Spetses (1999); Uppsala (2001), Milano (2003), La Laguna (2005), Jena (2007), Vilnius (2009), Bergen (2011) and Lausanne (2013). The 17^th Conference is planned in 2015 (in Braga).

EADP publishes a scientific journal (EJDP) since 2004; maintains an internet site since 1992, institutionalized an Early Researchers Union (ERU) since 2011, offers awards for young as well as senior researchers (since 2007) , and organizes workshops, Winter and Summer Schools, as well as the abovementioned biennial conferences.