Each March, National Social Work Month recognizes the essential role social workers play in strengthening individuals, families, and communities. This year’s theme, Social Workers: Uplift. Defend. Transform., reflects the profession’s enduring commitment to enhancing human well-being and advancing social justice during a time of deep cultural, political, and economic division. Social Work Month is an […]
Leading for Transformative Change: Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice will take place January 14-18 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington DC. Thursday, January 15, 2026 1:30 pm- 3:00 pm 3:15 pm- 4:45 pm Friday, January 16, 2026 8:00 am- 9:30 am 9:45 am- 11:15 am 2:00 pm- 3:30 pm 3:45 pm- 5:15 pm […]
A new study shows promising results from Rx Kids, a cash support program for new mothers in Flint. Since the program began, infant maltreatment allegations have dropped sharply. Rx Kids provides every pregnant woman with $1,500 during mid-pregnancy and $500 per month throughout the baby’s first 6–12 months, helping families improve financial stability and reduce […]
When Susan Gershenfeld, PhD ’16, (featured on the right alongside Emily Malamud, a 2013 Illinois graduate and former I-Promise student, now in her fourth year of residency in Pediatric Neurology at Stanford) set out to write her new book What If…Why Not?, her goal was clear: to reach more first-generation college students with practical, holistic […]
A new study from the School of Social Work’s Children and Family Research Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sheds light on an often-overlooked issue: why some children experience maltreatment even after being placed in foster care. Although the percentage of children who experience abuse or neglect while in foster care is small, the […]
School of Social Work alumna Franshandra Owens, MSW, LCSW (MSW ’18), has been selected as the 2025 NASW-Illinois Chapter Social Worker of the Year. Owens is being recognized for her exceptional leadership, advocacy, and commitment to survivor recovery through her work as a clinician at the SIU School of Medicine’s Survivor Recovery Center. In this […]
A University of Illinois social work researcher is helping uncover how financial supports can strengthen families and reduce child neglect. The League of Women Voters of Champaign County will host “Economic Supports and Child Health and Well-being” from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22. The free, public webinar will be held via Zoom, […]
A recent report from the Illinois Youth Survey highlights concerning trends in alcohol and cannabis use among teens across the state. Conducted every two years, the survey gathers critical data on youth behaviors to help inform prevention and intervention strategies statewide. According to the latest findings, Illinois teens are drinking nearly twice the national average, […]
The School of Social Work is proud to celebrate alumna Jewelry Pouna Keodara (BSW ’22, MSW ’23), who has been named a 2025–2026 Titus and Linda Peachey Peace Fellow with Legacies of War. As part of the fellowship, Jewelry will travel to Laos to witness firsthand the lasting impact of unexploded ordnance (UXO) on local […]