Ambika Krishnakumar, Chair, 315-443-4293.
426 Ostrom Ave
Faculty D. Bruce Carter, Joseph P. Fanelli, Irene Kehres, Ambika Krishnakumar, Eunjoo Jung, Janel Leone, Robert P. Moreno, Kamala Ramadoss, Rachel Razza, Jaipaul L. Roopnarine
UNDERGRADUATE
Irene Kehres, Director of Undergraduate Studies, 315-443-9634
The Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) is involved in the scientific investigation of children and families with a focus on the physical, emotional and social development of children across the life-span, and the study of family dynamics and processes. Students engage in multidisciplinary learning about the challenges facing families and children across social, cultural, and contextual settings and the strengths and resiliency factors that foster healthy family and child development. Students are involved in learning both in class and field experiences so that they have a more comprehensive understanding of children and families in various cultures and social settings. Upperclassmen are involved in an 180-hour practicum that allows them to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to a real life setting in the community.
Students in the 124 credit B.S. degree program pursue interests across three tracks of specialization: (a) Early Child Development, (b) Youth and Family Development, (c) Early Childhood Education (4+1). Core courses focus on child, youth and family development, cross-cultural perspectives, interpersonal competence and human sexuality. CFS also offers minors in Child and Family Studies, Child and Family Policy, and Early Childhood.
CFS graduates pursue careers working with children and families in diverse settings including daycare and preschool, early intervention programs, social service, mental health, health and juvenile justice agencies, youth programs, schools and parent and family services. Students also pursue further graduate training in a variety of fields including social work, psychology, medicine, family law, counseling, health care, child and family studies and education.
GRADUATE
Ambika Krishnakumar, Director of Graduate Studies; 315-443-1715
A unique aspect of the Department of Child and Family Studies is the interdisciplinary faculty, a distinguished group whose members have training and advanced degrees in counseling psychology, developmental psychology, educational psychology, sociology, education, and gerontology. The graduate programs in child and family studies integrate theory and practice from these fields with a major emphasis in child development, family studies, or early childhood education. The major goal of the programs is to facilitate understanding of the development of the individual over the life span in diverse family and cultural settings. Supervised participation in early childhood education and counseling settings and research programs give students firsthand experiences in applying and integrating theory. The multidisciplinary approach provides an excellent base for academic and professional service careers.
The department has a strong reputation for its pioneering work in infant education, parent education, child care, parent-child relations in different cultures, and children and families in cross-cultural perspective.
FACILITIES
The Bernice M. Wright Child Development Laboratory School provides opportunities for research, teacher training, and community service. Founded as a model of the parent cooperative movement in early childhood education, the school includes parent involvement at the center of its mission. The school is staffed by both graduate and undergraduate students and offers a strong inclusive component that embraces the developmental and cultural perspectives of its children and families. Limited enrollment is open to both the University and local communities.
The Institute for Family Research and Education (IFRE) was founded in 1970 by Sol Gordon, Ph.D., to focus on different dimensions of individual and family life. Today, the institute has broadened its mission to include both basic research and applied activities pertaining to children and families in cultural and cross-cultural contexts within the United States and the global community. The major functions of IFRE include, but are not limited to: conducting basic and applied research on developmental processes within families and children in diverse cultural/ethnic contexts in the United States and around the world; developing culturally sensitive research tools; disseminating research information on diverse groups of children and families to professions in diverse disciplines and agencies; focusing on the development of family and child life education materials; and offering services to assist in collecting data on families and children.
The Jack Reilly Institute for Early Childhood and Provider Education The Jack Reilly Institute for Early Childhood and Provider Education was established through a generous gift from Syracuse University alumnus John D. Reilly III '69, G'70 and his wife, Patricia M. Reilly. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, the Institute's mission is to conduct basic and applied research and to provide training to early childhood professionals on culturally and developmentally-appropriate early childhood education practices and issues pertaining to childhood safety.