NEW FIELD CENTER PODCAST SERIES ADDRESSES YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE

On March 25th, Field Center Interns joined hundreds of social workers, students, and government representatives at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg for the National Association of Social Workers Pennsylvania Chapter’s Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD). Students also joined LEADing Up to LEAD, a weeklong virtual training series designed to prepare participants for an effective and informed LEAD Day and policy engagement. 

LEAD participants advocated for two pieces of proposed legislation in PA:  

• HB 66 – The Social Worker Educational Enrollment and Training (SWEET) Act, which proposes funding stipends for MSW students completing internships. 
• HB 554 – The Social Work Licensure Compact, which would enable license portability across participating states, streamlining the process for social workers to practice in multiple states. 

During the day at the Capitol, MSW Intern Hannah Bennett met with State Representative Clint Owlett (R) to advocate for both bills, highlighting the importance of supporting MSW students and strengthening the social work profession across state lines. MSW Intern Sabrina Vargas had the opportunity to connect with Senator Tim Kearney’s (D) Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to further emphasize the value of these initiatives. Reflecting on the day, Sabrina remarked, “Witnessing macro social workers engage directly with legislators was both inspiring and empowering. It underscored the critical role social workers play in shaping policy and driving systemic change – especially in ways that directly impact future professionals in the field.”

For students in or aging out of foster care, accessing higher education can be a challenge, especially without the necessary resources and support. In December 2024, the Field Center – in partnership with Penn GSE’s Office of School and Community Engagement (OSCE) – hosted the panel, “Student Voices Symposium: Foster Care to College,” which amplified the voices of former and current college students who have lived experience in foster care. Through this panel, they shared about their personal academic journeys and encouraged the audience to recognize the power of consistent, supportive resources.

Behind the organization and execution of this panel was a firm commitment to engaging with panelists in a thoughtful, equitable way. When engaging with leaders who have lived experience in foster care, organizations and individual people may overlook biases and/or harmful narratives they might hold, which could foster a negative environment for any participants. The Field Center, under the direction and leadership of the inaugural Nancy Glickenhaus Student Fellow Logan Fosu, has recently developed and published “Engaging with Leaders who have Experienced Foster Care: A Toolkit.” This new resource works to serve as a guide for how to best engage with partners who have lived experience in the foster care system, along with resources that can be shared with others to cultivate a supportive, equitable environment.

The Field Center staff and interns recently joined the School of Social Policy & Practice’s Child Well-Being and Child Welfare Specialization (CW2) students at the annual Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth & Family Services (PCCYFS) Conference in Harrisburg, PA. The PCCYFS conference, geared towards child welfare practitioners and member agencies across Pennsylvania, offers excellent opportunities for professional development and networking.

The Child Well-Being and Child Welfare Specialization, developed by Field Center Managing Faculty Director Dr. Johanna Greeson, is celebrating its 10^th anniversary of preparing Master of Social Work (MSW) students to become compassionate, forward-thinking leaders in the field of child welfare. With Field Center interns often pursuing the CW2 Specialization, shared learning opportunities such as the PCCYFS Conference help prepare graduates for careers dedicated to the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families. 

Associate Director Sarah Wasch presented a webinar in collaboration with local partners PHEAA, The Philadelphia Education Fund, The School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable and I-LEAD titled “Philly Foster Care to College: Financial Aid & College Support Programs Virtual Information Session.”

Faculty Director Dr. Caroline Watts and the Penn Graduate School of Education hosted a two-part documentary screening series in partnership with the Penn Injury Science Center, and Penn Medicine Center for Health Justice titled “From Community Solutions to National Change: A Film Series on Opioid Awareness & Action.”

Faculty Director Dr. Cindy Christian gave talks titled “What every pediatrician needs to know about child abuse”, “Metabolic and genetic mimics of child abuse” and “What’s new in STIs?” at The Frist Conference of the Israeli Society for Child Abuse Pediatricians in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Faculty Director Dr. Cindy Christian presented two sessions at the Annual Helfer Meeting in Nashville, TN: “Debate: CAPs should use a number or scale to report their bottom-line assessment of abuse likelihood” and “Academic Advancement for CAPs: Lessons from the Front Line.”

Grant Awards:

Faculty Director Dr. Caroline Watts received a 5-year donor gift of $250,000 from a private donor to support the work of the Office of School & Community Engagement in West Philadelphia.

Faculty Director Dr. Caroline Watts received a new 3-year grant of $174,748 from the Neubauer Family Foundation to support the Senior Associate Director position in the Office of School and Community Engagement and the OSCE’s ongoing research relationship with the Foundation.

Field Center experts recently published the following:

Berrick, J.D., Barth, R.P., Drake, B., Jonson-Reid, M., Garcia, A., Greeson, J.K.P., & Gyourko, J. (2025). Is Child Welfare Oppressive?. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 45(2), 362-383.

Gyourko, J.R., Silver, J., & Greeson, J.K.P. (2024). Financial and psychosocial challenges reported by social work students: Findings from a cross-sectional online survey. Transformative Social Work, 2(2).

Cowley, L. E., Lamela, D., Drabarek, K., Rodrigues, L. B., Ntinapogias, A., Naughton, A., Debelle, G., Alfandari, R., Jud, A., Otterman, G., Laajasalo, T., Christian, C.W., Stancheva-Popkostadinova, V., Caenazzo, L., Soldino, V., Vaughan, R., Kemp, A., Nurmatov, U. & Hurt, L. (2025). Defining child maltreatment for research and surveillance: an international, multi-sectoral, Delphi consensus study in 34 countries in Europe and surrounding regions. The Lancet Regional Health–Europe, 50.

Lindberg, D. M., Greeley, C., Christian, C.W. (2025). Potential Pitfalls in Bayesian Analysis for Child Abuse: Tending to Each Tree With a Forest of Data. JAMA. 

Field Center in the media: