About Us

Mission

For more than 20 years, the Guide to Careers in Child and Family Policy has provided validation, insight, and ideas for child and family policy careers. The guide covers the diversity of child and family policy careers, which can be pursued across private, non-profit, academic, and government settings, both domestic and international. Such careers can stem from formal academic or professional training or through experiential learning in jobs, internships, fellowships, or volunteer positions, at all life stages.

In 2009, the careers guide site became affiliated with the University-Based Child and Family Policy Consortium. The site was substantially revised to focus on academic degree programs and academically-based research centers and institutes. A "Learn About the Field" section of the site continues to provide guidance and examples about a wider range of academic and organizational settings that provide opportunities for child and family policy careers.

The site is noncommercial and nonpartisan. To date, initial grant funding along with institutional resources of the University of Illinois, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University-Based Child and Family Policy Consortium have made it possible. The site can be used without cost by persons seeking career information and anyone else who may be interested in this resource. No fees are charged and no information is sold. The managers of the guide welcome feedback and recommendations for additional information to include but will make final decisions regarding the content of the guide.

What's On This Site?

The "Learn about the Field" section of the guide covers a broad range of settings, including government agencies, private sector companies, and a range of non-profit organizations (such as advocacy groups, think tanks, and professional organizations).

The "browse" sections of the site contain information about university-based child and family policy programs, including degree granting units and research centers.

History

The Guide to Careers in Child and Family Policy was first conceptualized in 1990 by Rachel A. Gordon and P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, based on the difficulty Rachel had in locating information about a career in child and family policy when she was completing her undergraduate degree in psychology in 1990. Paper guides were published in 1993 and 1995. In 1997, the guide was moved to the web in static form. In 2001, the first dynamic version of the site was completed. In 2009, when the site became a collaborative effort with the University-Based Child and Family Policy Consortium it was modified to list detailed individual listings only about university-based child and family policy programs (either degree-granting units or research centers) and to consolidate general information and examples across a wide range of settings (including government agencies, private companies, non-profits, advocacy organizations and think tanks) in a single "about the field" document.

Back To Top