Child and Family Studies

The mission of the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) is to foster and disseminate scientific understanding of children, families and the early education process. This mission has two fundamental areas of emphasis. The first of these – development in context – recognizes that development occurs in multiple, interconnected settings, such as the family, neighborhood, school, community, culture, and the international environment. The second area of emphasis - children and families at risk – reflects a commitment to generating informed practices that will improve the lives of those in greatest need.

CFS faculty come from varied educational backgrounds, including child development; clinical, counseling and developmental psychology; early childhood education; family studies; human development; and sociology. This variety of backgrounds reflects the belief that the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge should be interdisciplinary in nature and conducted with sensitivity to issues of personal, economic, cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, and political diversity.

CFS prepares students for careers in both public and private domains that focus on children, families, and early learning. Students acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and professional ethics through undergraduate and graduate coursework, internship opportunities, research projects, and outreach activities.

This department has been reimagined and is now a part of the Counseling, Human Development, and Family Studies Department. This collection is no longer being added to. Please see the Counseling, Human Development, and Family Studies department page for more recent submissions.