Home Centers & Labs Interdisciplinary Research Center on Children and Families
The Interdisciplinary Research Center on Children and Families plays a leading role in advancing and disseminating research informed by the lived experiences of youth, caregivers, and providers across multiple disciplines to promote child safety, permanency, and well-being.
Our Goals
Unique Centers & Labs
Increase in FY20 extramural research funding
Individuals served annually by Centers & Labs
Understanding and Coping with Sensory Processing Challenges provides parents with tools to engage and work with children who display sensory processing challenges. Parents will learn what Sensory Processing Disorder is and […]
Caring for Teens in Kinship is a new KIN VIP Support Group offering for caregivers who are caring for teenagers in kinship care. This group will focus on caring for […]
Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew will equip foster and adoptive parents to understand the thoughts and feelings children who are adopted may experience. It offers strategies and ideas to help parents […]
This training will take place via virtual live Zoom meeting. Participants will be required to have a laptop or tablet with reliable internet connection to participate in the live, interactive […]
Healthy Boundaries in Teenage Relationships explores healthy and unhealthy dating behaviors. It is designed to assist caregivers in identifying warning signs that a teen may be involved in an abusive dating relationship and provides suggestions for talking to teens and/or their friends […]
Cyberbullying is a training that explores what cyberbullying entails, warning signs that a child may be a victim of it, and its harmful effects. Statistics on cyberbullying are examined and reasons for cyberbullying behavior in children and youth are discussed. Strategies designed to protect […]
ASK-VIP Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents in an inclusive, safe, and compassionate environment. They are led by seasoned facilitators who have […]
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) come in many forms, from physical and mental abuse to neglect and household dysfunction. This training examines data from the ACE study, how early adversity as […]
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) come in many forms, from physical and mental abuse to neglect and household dysfunction. This training examines data from the ACE study, how early adversity as […]
Description This group will focus on the day to day issues involving relative and fictive kin care and will be shaped by the identified needs of group participants. Members of […]
Strategies to Remain Positive When Adopting describes common behaviors that the child(ren) may exhibit as well as feelings adoptive parents may have during the adoption process, including grief and post-adoption depression. This training also provides strategies on […]
ASK-VIP Medically Complex Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents caring for children with medical complexities. They offer an opportunity to […]
Caring for Teens in Kinship is a new KIN VIP Support Group offering for caregivers who are caring for teenagers in kinship care. This group will focus on caring for […]
ARC Meetings & IEPs: The Basics will help foster and adoptive parents understand the process of an ARC Meeting and gain a better perspective of what an IEP will look like. It offers strategies […]
Ten Things Every Pediatrician Should Know About Children in Care will equip foster and adoptive parents to better understand the unique medical factors children in care face. This training will also offer […]
Description This group is an opportunity for kinship caregivers to come together to find support, community, and resources in the care of relative and fictive children. This group will focus […]
Stress Management for Caregivers will equip foster/adoptive parents with tools to understand what stress and caregiver burnout is, and how to cope with the unique stressors of being foster/adoptive families. The […]
Keeping Families Strong provides foster parents insight on how to keep partnerships, families and friendships strong while providing care to out of home children. It will also provide strategies for foster parents to build workable boundaries around these […]
Drugs: Things You Need to Know is designed to inform parents of the many different classifications of illicit drugs, as well as the current trends related to adolescent drug abuse. Detailed […]
Child Development 0-5 explores the typical milestones, or skills, that children develop from birth through age 5. It offers resources that caregivers can utilize to determine if a developmental screening may […]
Adoption: Understanding Your Commitment explores adoption dissolution. It addresses the impact on a child and family when adoption dissolution occurs and offers strategies and resources to prevent it. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Interpret information about adoption dissolution and reasons why it occurs. […]
ASK-VIP Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents in an inclusive, safe, and compassionate environment. They are led by seasoned facilitators who have […]
Healthy Boundaries: Strategies for Answering Tough Questions helps foster and adoptive parents understand the importance of setting boundaries in their lives. It explains the different types of boundaries (Physical and […]
This virtual 2-part series, offered during Child Abuse and Autism Awareness Month, is designed to give parents the skills needed to manage behaviors in the home environment with children that […]
Preparing Children for Permanency equips foster/adoptive parents with strategies to prepare children for permanency. It offers insight on the thoughts and emotional reactions that a child transitioning to permanency may experience. It also explores ways to help children understand and express their emotions during this time of transition. After completing […]
Description This group will focus on the day to day issues involving relative and fictive kin care and will be a place where each member can find support, resources, ideas, […]
Caring for Teens in Kinship is a new KIN VIP Support Group offering for caregivers who are caring for teenagers in kinship care. This group will focus on caring for […]
Adjusting to becoming a kinship caregiver for a relative or fictive kin youth can be a difficult transition, one that is often made quickly and during challenging situations. Understanding how […]
ASK-VIP LGBTQ+ Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Groups are specifically designed for foster/adoptive parents who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as foster/adoptive parents who are caring for children or teens who identify as LGBTQ+. The […]
New Placements: Preparing & Adjusting Family Roles will help foster and adoptive parents introduce new placements into their existing family units. It gives ideas and strategies on how to prepare children and […]
Description Centers and Labs Monthly Staff Meeting. Held the 3rd Wednesday of Each Month.
A Child’s Education: Rights & Responsibilities will inform parents of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The training informs foster and adoptive parents of the processes used to determine eligibility requirements for children with […]
Learn more about our Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program during an online information session on Wednesday, June 15 at 4 p.m. EST. In this session, we’ll be answering […]
A Child’s Education: Rights & Responsibilities will inform parents of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The training informs foster and adoptive parents of the processes used to determine eligibility requirements for children with […]
ASK-VIP Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents in an inclusive, safe, and compassionate environment. They are led by seasoned facilitators who have […]
Services & Support for Foster & Adoptive Families will inform parents about resources available to individuals with intellectual disabilities through the Michelle P. Waiver Program, which allows eligible individuals to remain in […]
Strategies for Parenting Teens will provide an overview of adolescent development and common questions and challenges presented by youth who are in foster care or were adopted. This training will equip participants with parenting strategies to address specific issues common […]
ASK-VIP Transracial Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Groups are specifically designed for those who share the unique experience of transracial parenting. They offer an opportunity to share experiences, questions, resources, and concerns in […]
Developmental Stages & Children’s Responses to Grief defines grief and explores how children process and express grief at different developmental stages. It offers insight into the unique experiences of grief and […]
ASK-VIP Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents in an inclusive, safe, and compassionate environment. They are led by seasoned facilitators who have […]
Description This group will focus on the day to day issues involving relative and fictive kin care and will be shaped by the identified needs of group participants. Members of […]
Attachment & Bonding with your Foster & Adopted Child equips parents to enhance their relationship with foster/adopted children by teaching them the basics about bonding and attachment. This training also provides […]
Ten Things Every Pediatrician Should Know About Children in Care will equip foster and adoptive parents to better understand the unique medical factors children in care face. This training will also offer […]
This training is for DCBS and Private Agency Foster Parents who have been approved by their R&C Supervisor and/or agency to attend. This is the initial training that all Resource […]
Confidentiality in Foster Care explores the importance of protecting the confidentiality of children in care. It offers strategies for how sensitive information about children in care can be communicated in appropriate […]
Positive Discipline for Teenagers will provide foster/Adoptive Parents with effective tools that will guide them to positive discipline and communication with teenagers that are in their care/home. It discusses the importance of using partnership based approach to […]
Caring for Teens in Kinship is a new KIN VIP Support Group offering for caregivers who are caring for teenagers in kinship care. This group will focus on caring for […]
Guiding Your Child Through Adolescence explores the physical and emotional changes that children undergo as they enter adolescence. Parents will discuss how parental roles change during this period of their child’s development. Strategies for successfully communicating with […]
First Steps: Kentucky’s Early Intervention System explores the services provided by this program. Participants learn how to refer children ages zero to three who have developmental delays, or medical conditions known […]
Blended Families: Parenting Children When They Don’t Get Along assists caregivers with identifying issues that children may experience that are unique to blended families. It offers strategies to create a peaceful […]
The 5 Love Languages introduces parents to the different love languages and discusses ways to use this information to strengthen partner/spouse relationships as well as relationships with children and teenagers. Parents […]
ASK-VIP Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents in an inclusive, safe, and compassionate environment. They are led by seasoned facilitators who have […]
Connecting with Your Child While Correcting Behavior introduces parents to strategies to use to help them feel connected to children while correcting difficult behaviors. Parents will learn how to connect while […]
The Suicide Prevention and Exposure Lab at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work will host a two-day retreat for Kentuckians that lost someone close to them to suicide […]
Compulsive Lying explores why a child may lie compulsively. It identifies strategies and offers resources designed to assist children and their families dealing with this issue. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Recognize causes of compulsive […]
Working with Birth Families to Achieve Permanency will equip foster parents with many different ways to positively work with birth families toward the initial goal of reunification. The training also discusses the alternatives to […]
Promoting Stability & Increasing Resiliency for Children in Care explores the concepts of stability and resiliency and introduces skills for building resiliency in children who have experienced trauma. After completing this […]
Description This group will focus on the day to day issues involving relative and fictive kin care and will be a place where each member can find support, resources, ideas, […]
ASK-VIP LGBTQ+ Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Groups are specifically designed for foster/adoptive parents who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as foster/adoptive parents who are caring for children or teens who identify as LGBTQ+. The […]
Caring for Teens in Kinship is a new KIN VIP Support Group offering for caregivers who are caring for teenagers in kinship care. This group will focus on caring for […]