Despite the obvious ties between the opioid crisis and increased demand on the foster care system, the nation lacks any meaningful data to show how the trends connect. Without having a clear picture of the nature of problems facing a community, policymakers are left to guess how to direct precious resources.

In a chat with Associate Professor Jennifer Bellamy, Bellamy discusses the important lessons in her research course “Evidence for Practice” and the ways in which students will apply those lessons in social work practice.  

At home and abroad, natural disasters have devastated communities, reducing buildings to rubble and leaving behind emotional scars from the overwhelming trauma of loss. To shed light on the challenges of responding to natural disasters, adjunct faculty member Karen Stewart discussed her experiences in emergency response and the potential effects of the increased frequency of disasters. 

Nearly one out of five working women in the U.S. with young children works in a low wage occupation. But the annual cost of full-time child care in the U.S. for one child can range from $3,000 to $17,000. For struggling families who access federal and state benefits to supplement their incomes, the loss of these benefits can have devastating effects on household budgets.