The Child Well-Being Research Institute will now be housed within the University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work, moving from the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall.
The research institute, which houses the Child Well-Being Research Network (CRWN), was launched at Chapin Hall in 2010. The decision to move it out of Chapin Hall was made because the academic setting can “provide the infrastructure and insight needed for the research network,” Chapin Hall researcher Lee Ann Huang said in a press release.
“The College of Social Work is an excellent fit — given their mission alignment; commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice; strong track record in action-oriented research; and their commitment to the development of scholars,” Huang, who co-chairs the CRWN said in a press release.
CRWN is a community of researchers focused on studying approaches to preventing child maltreatment. With 186 members from 135 universities, the network also works to diversify the child welfare research field. Members include federal and state level government officials and professionals from nonprofits, charitable foundations and major global companies including Facebook and Amazon.
The network also disseminates “Research to Action” grants to fund deep dives into policy and practice questions, with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Past grant recipients have focused on issues like healthcare access for disabled youth transitioning out of foster care and homelessness among young children enrolled in Early Head Start preschool.
“We are extremely excited about this transition and will support CWRN’s focus on engaging researchers from diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and disciplines to advance the field of child well-being and prevention of child maltreatment,” Jay Miller, dean of UK Social Work, said.