MN Child Welfare Academy Overview:
The Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) was established in 1992 with federal Title IV-E funding and a grant from the Bush Foundation. The Center brings the University of Minnesota together with county, tribal, state and community social services in a partnership dedicated to improving the lives of children and families involved with public child welfare. Substantial funding for the Center continues to come from federal Title IV-E funds and support from the University of Minnesota, the College of Education and Human Development and the School of Social Work. CASCW fulfills its mission by focusing its efforts around three primary areas: Professional Education, Outreach, and Research & Evaluation.
Misson: To improve the well-being of children and families who are involved in the child welfare system by: educating human service professionals, fostering collaboration across systems and disciplines, informing policy makers and the public, and expanding the child welfare knowledge base.
Guiding Values: All children deserve competent and effective child welfare services to promote safety, well-being and permanencyEffective child welfare workers require continual professional development that is financially, geographically and culturally accessible. Effective child welfare training, education, policy and evaluation is multidisciplinary, multicultural and collaborative in nature. Child welfare evaluation informs policy and practice resulting in better outcomes for children and families. Policy makers and the public make effective decisions when provided with current, relevant, and accurate child welfare information.
Department Overview:
Founded in 1917, the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota−Twin Cities is the oldest social work program in a public land-grant university. SSW is a unit within the College of Education and Human Development, one of the leading colleges of education and human development in the country with programs and research in areas such as educational psychology, child development, organizational leadership, family social science, and disabilities. The School offers a number of educational programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Graduate degree programs include a PhD in social work, a Master of Social Work, and a Master of Education in Youth Development Leadership. At the undergraduate level, the School offers a Bachelor of Science in Youth Studies, and minors in Family Violence Prevention, Youth Studies, and Social Justice. For more information please visit: http://www.socialwork.umn.edu
College of Education and Human Development Overview:
The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), the third largest college and the University, contributes to a just and sustainable future through engagement with the local and global communities to enhance human learning and development at all stages of the life span. We know diversity is necessary to do our best work and foster our humanity. That’s why the CEHD community is collectively dedicated to cultivating an inclusive and equitable environment, embracing and celebrating all identities of our students, staff, and faculty. These values are also a moral imperative requiring continuous proactive measures and a firm stance against prejudice, discrimination, and systemic injustice.