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.

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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).

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Student Representatives

Alumni Representatives

Ryan Flowers, BASW, MSW 

Emma Smith, BSW Graduate 

Cher Youngblood, MSW Graduate 

Volunteer Opportunities

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.