The Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, and Families serves as a hub for family and youth-focused research happening across the University of Arizona. We bridge research and practice by building innovative teams of scientists committed to tackling the most pressing issues facing families today, partnering to put our research into the hands of families, community members and practitioners who are on the front lines of building family and youth resilience, and educating the next generation of scholars and community leaders. We use research to improve the lives of vulnerable children, youth, and families.
What We Do
We conduct research on children, youth, and families through cross-disciplinary initiatives that engage experienced and emerging scholars in active collaboration. Our initiatives include research on child and adolescent development, parenting, close relationships, and family life across the lifespan. We translate the results of our research for community application and public use. We collaborate with community organizations to share research and to respond to pressing community needs.
Our Vision
We envision communities that support and value children, youth, and families, and in which the highest-quality research is brought-to-bear on issues important to them. We contribute to building strong communities that promote family resilience so that all children and youth, especially those from marginalized or disadvantaged backgrounds, have the opportunity to thrive.
Our Goals
Strengthen the intellectual environment: Develop and sustain an integrated group of activities that engage faculty and students.
Establish a collaborative research committee: Internally review grants to improve our grant success rate and provide insight into one another’s work. Faculty and senior graduate students could participate in such a committee.
Develop collaborative projects: Initiate externally funded research, outreach and training grants that support faculty and trainee professional development and highlight program expertise while building lasting partnerships with community organizations.
Disseminate research: Through community outreach and training we create research briefs and/or regular newsletters that summarize research.
We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O'odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.
