Centre for Child, Youth and Family Welfare

The Centre for Child, Youth and Family Welfsare (CCYFW) is an inter-disciplinary Centre committed to developing new insights into the lives of children, young people, and families and the promotion of improved welfare outcomes and enhanced wellbeing. Our members are primarily drawn from the disciplines of social work, psychology, law, education, and health and are closely connected with several international Research Centres focused on the welfare of children, young people, and families. Our work spans the continuum of services, including early intervention, family support, child safeguarding and protection, out of home care, leaving and after care, and adoption. We engage closely with policy makers, practitioners, and families to co-create and implement knowledge that addresses real-world needs and priorities. The scope of the Centre’s work ensures that the best possible evidence is generated to inform policy and professional practice and to enhance outcomes for children, young people, and families. The Centre also hosts the Inter-agency Child Care Legal Issues Group, which facilitates understanding and information exchange between professionals and relevant stakeholders in respect of childcare legislation, policy and practice in Northern Ireland, and the Substance Misuse and Child Welfare Special Interest Group, which is funded by the Public Health Agency and focuses on research, policy and practice in relation to problematic parental substance use.