UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

The Children and Family Research Center, located in Urbana, Illinois, is an independent research organization created jointly in 1996 at the School of Social Work by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The goal of the Center is to identify research needs and support research that is policy and practice relevant and encourage and facilitate public child welfare research activities through collaborative relationships.

Latest News and Publications

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Sep 2026 / Report    

Since its inception in 1996, the Children and Family Research Center (CFRC) has produced an annual report that monitors the performance of the Illinois child welfare system in achieving its stated goals of child safety, permanency, and well-being.…

Sep 2026 / Report    

Since its inception in 1996, the Children and Family Research Center (CFRC) has produced an annual report that monitors the performance of the Illinois child welfare system in achieving its stated goals of child safety, permanency, and well-being.…

Sep 2026 / Report    

Child welfare systems across the nation share the concern that children from some racial and ethnic groups may be disproportionately represented in the child welfare system compared to their representation in the general population. This report…

Aug 2026 / Newsletter    

Featured in this issue: CFRC and DCFS Celebrate a Decade of Partnership Advancing Child Welfare Training

Jul 2026 / Presentation    

Facilitators are central to the effectiveness of the simulation training program. The work of a simulation facilitator in the Child Protection Training Academy (CPTA) demands a deep understanding of experiential learning and simulation training…

Jun 2026 / Report    

The Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation funded five sites in Illinois to develop partnerships and implement children's mental health systems of care (SOC) in their communities. Systems of care were defined as a spectrum of effective…