On March 24th, the Field Center interns attended an advocacy day in the PA Capitol to push for the establishment of an independent Office of the Child Advocate in Pennsylvania. At the event, former Pennsylvania Child Advocate Dr. Maryann McEvoy spoke about the need for this office, alongside Pennsylvanians who had been personally affected by failures within the child welfare system. As a Master’s of Social Policy student at the University of Pennsylvania, I have learned through coursework how to design, evaluate, and communicate policy. During my internship at the Field Center, I have examined the child welfare system, its strengths, and its serious gaps. Attending this advocacy day connected both of these academic and professional experiences by illustrating what pushing for policy change in the realm of child welfare looks like in practice. It is not made solely through reports and research, but through communities coming together, standing in solidarity, and using their voices to demand protection, accountability, and justice for children and families.

This quarter, the Field Center is proud to highlight MSS Intern Cheri Mitchell. Cheri presented on behalf of the Foster Care to College initiative during the Youth in Care Transitioning to College: Financial and Transition Support Webinar in March, providing detailed insight into the goals of the initiative. She spoke about the need for college campus-based support programs that are designed specifically for students with experience in foster care. Studies have found that young people who have aged out of care lack support in enrolling and transitioning to college - this is where campus-based support programs are needed, as they can provide students with year-round housing, scholarships, programming, academic advising, emergency assistance and more.

Cheri spoke with conviction about the need for all colleges and universities to implement such campus-based programs, as they allow students to build a community on campus that they can turn to in times of need. She also emphasized the importance of having such programs in schools across Pennsylvania, regardless of urban or rural settings, because “no matter where a young person lives, they deserve a campus that is nearby and ready to support them.”

View the Pennsylvania Campus Programming Directory online here and a national list of programs here.

Field Center team members, including Managing Faculty Director Johanna Greeson, Associate Director Sarah Wasch, Administrative Coordinator Amber Davis, and macro social work graduate students Jasleen Virk and Cheri Mitchell, attended the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth & Family Services (PCCYFS) Annual Conference on April 8–9. The conference brought together child‑serving agencies and statewide leaders committed to strengthening Pennsylvania’s continuum of care. Field Center attendees connected with providers, explored emerging issues in child welfare and behavioral health, and engaged in conversations that support improved outcomes for children, youth, and families across the Commonwealth. Thank you PCCYFS for this wonderful event where professionals come together in pursuit of collaboration, systems improvement, and advancing best practices in policy, research, and direct support!

The Field Center welcomed Amber Davis as the Administrative Coordinator in March of 2026! In this role, she provides administrative support for all center operations, plans events, and manages external communications. Amber has over a decade of non-profit experience, working as a service coordinator for populations including individuals with disabilities and seniors. Pivoting from her past roles providing direct client care, Amber is excited to use her creativity and managerial skills at the Field Center to support policy, practice and research initiatives promoting child and family wellbeing. Amber has her BA in Sociology from LaSalle University.

Presentations:

Faculty Director Dr. Cindy Christian gave the John M. Templeton, Jr. Memorial Lecture titled “Protecting abused children in the age of alternative facts: Lessons from the front line” at the 2026 John M. Templeton Jr MD Pediatric Trauma Symposium in Philadelphia, PA.

Faculty Director Dr. Cindy Christian delivered the Matty Eappen endowed lecture titled “What I Don’t Know” at Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Vermont.

Managing Faculty Director Johanna Greeson presented a workshop titled “Supporting Young People Transitioning from Foster Care through Relational Permanency and Interdependent Living” at the CWLA 2026 Conference in Washington, DC.

Social Work Intern Cheri Mitchell presented on a webinar titled Youth In Care Transitioning to College – Financial and Transition Support, through the Philadelphia Foster Care to College Collaborative.

Field Center experts recently published the following:

Smith, C., Wood, J.N., Davies, S., Green, S., Mollen, C., Christian, C.W., Raj, A. & Krass, P. (2025). Missed Opportunities to Screen for Sexual Exploitation Among Youth Who Have Experienced Sex Trafficking. Child Protection and Practice, 100264.

Islam, S., Jaffee, S.R., Belsky, J., Hancox, R.J., Poulton, R., Ramrakha, S., & Wertz, J. (2026). Social mobility and parenting: Testing associations in a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Child development, 97(2), 585-597.

Greeson, J.K.P., Wasch, S., Gyourko, J.R., Garcia, A.R., Bennett, H., Greco, K., & Cha, L. (2026). Left Behind in Lockdown: A Scoping Review of COVID‐19’s Impact on the Lives of Transition‐Age Foster Youth. Child & Family Social Work.

Greeson, J.K.P. (2026). From Scholarships to Belonging: Reframing Foster Care Transitions as an Adolescent Health Priority. Journal of Adolescent Health.

Field Center in the media:

‘A long bridge’: These programs can help foster care youth attend — and succeed at — college

Associate Director Sarah Wasch speaks with WHYY about higher education access for students with foster care experience

Pennsylvania child advocate office vacant for over a year, advocates demand action

Field Center Interns Saadhya Bahudodda, Cheri Mitchell, Jasleen Virk join advocates in pursuit of an Office of Child Advocate

Child & Family Social Work Top Cited Article: Wiley 2025

Managing Faculty Director Johanna Greeson’s work among top 10 most-cited papers in Child & Family Social Work in 2024