Welcome!
Mission: Supporting the development of child welfare professionals to serve Kentucky’s families and children.
The LifeSkills Center for Child Welfare Education and Research (LCCWEAR) is facilitating applied research by collaboratively seeking solutions to chronic conditions that continue to negatively impact Kentucky’s families and children. The LCCWEAR is organizing an alliance of multidisciplinary professionals with diverse backgrounds and skills to address comprehensive social problems, including child maltreatment, sexual assault and domestic violence, and the impact of generational poverty and substance use. The LCCWEAR aspires to become a catalyst for translational research by affording students the opportunity to actively contribute in multidisciplinary activities that are designed to improve the lives of Kentucky’s families and children in five key pillar areas:
- education & training
- workforce development
- policy & advocacy
- collaboration & partnerships
- family & child well-being
Western Kentucky University’s LifeSkills Center for Child Welfare Education and Research was established on June 21st, 2019 as Kentucky’s first center for child welfare!
Measuring Child Welfare Workers Physiological Stress
WKU Innovator Share Title IV-E Roundtable Experience
Finding Her Voice- Lindsey Powell
Dr. Austin Griffiths Interview
Conference highlights National Foster Care Month
WKU Hosts Child Welfare Conference
WKU finally hosts national child welfare conference after pandemic delays
Legislative testimony from Griffiths and Beavers
Griffiths speaking on Kentucky Tonight about KY Social Services Systems
WKU Undergraduate Seeks to Impact the Course of Child Language Disorders through Vital Research
LCCWEAR is a member of the Barren River Regional Interagency Council (RIAC) and a Proud Partner in Prevention with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky
The Center is located at:
WKU's South Campus
2355 Nashville Rd., Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101
Phone: 270-745-2059
Email: childwelfare@wku.edu
Find us on Social Media | @WKUChildWelfare
LCCWEAR Ribbon Cutting!
Get Involved!
CHHS 100-Intro to Child Welfare is a 3-hour credit class and meets the Social & Behavioral Explorations Colonnade requirement. It can be found on TopNet through Subject: College: Health & Human Serv.
This course will use an interdisciplinary approach to provide students with a broad
understanding of child welfare and child protection. It will prepare students to actively
collaborate across disciplines, including criminal justice, psychology, sociology,
social work, education, and health sciences.
The interdisciplinary approach affords students the opportunity to engage their peers
in meaningful dialogue, reflection, and the development of timely solutions related
to a variety of critical issues concerning child welfare.
CW PREP creates opportunities for you to thrive in a career making a difference for Kentucky’s children and families.
The LifeSkills Center for Child Welfare Education and Research is dedicated to serving the community through sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships. If you would like information about partnering with the LCCWEAR, please contact Dr. Patricia Desrosiers at patricia.desrosiers@wku.edu
Each year, the LifeSkills Center for Child Welfare Education and Research recruits Graduate Research Assistants to assist in the facilitation of our mission. This is an important position that is critical to our productivity and an excellent opportunity to engage in applied research with our faculty. Our GRAs are expected to work 20 hours a week for 14 weeks each semester (fall and spring). They will receive a monthly stipend and partial tuition remission (amount to be determined).
Dr. Dean May retired from WKU in Spring 2021. He served as a leader in the Department of Social Work since 1996 when he became BSW Program Director. Subsequently, he grew the program and was instrumental in developing a new MSW Program. Ever alert to possibilities, he secured several lucrative grants and training programs bringing in millions of dollars in external funding to the university. Programs like the Credit for Learning Program (CFL), the Public Child Welfare Certification Program (PCWCP), and the Training Resource Center (TRC) have been fundamental in developing the child welfare workforce in Kentucky. Dr. Dean May has been key to the vision of LCCWEAR. He and Dr. Griffiths began discussing the Center in 2017 and were successful regarding it's approval in July, 2019.
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