Upcoming Events
CSSCF Learning Lounge: AI in Research
Date: Thursday February 12th, 2026
Time: 10:30am – 12:00pm
Location: In-person (UBCO Landmark Buildings); Virtual via Zoom (UBCV and UBCO)
What is AI as a research tool? What are the risks? What are the benefits? The Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families is pleased to present a learning opportunity that explores AI in research and hopes to promote discussion around policy for the use of AI in research.
Transformative Child Welfare Panel: Queering Child Welfare and Child Wellbeing
Date: Thursday February 26th, 2026
Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Location: In-person (UBCV); Virtual via Zoom (UBCV and UBCO); In-person viewing (UBCO)
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/transformative-child-welfare-panel-event-tickets-1981603709037?aff=oddtdtcreator
The Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families is pleased to present a hybrid panel presentation featuring researchers and graduate students whose work centres 2S/LGBTQ+ children and youth. This event will share research and practical insights on queering child welfare and advancing child wellbeing, including gender-affirming caregiving, experiences of queer youth in care, and social work practice with queer and gender-diverse young people.
Our Panelists Include:
Emma McIlroy, MSW
Kyle Turone, MSW
Marko Aguilar Maurer, MA
Kristi Pinderi, MSW
Kayla Kenney, PhD Candidate
Past Events
Floras Walk
Wear your bright neon colours and join us to raise awareness of perinatal mental health.
Date: Sunday, May 25th, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM PST
Location: Meet at the Apple, Gyro Beach, Kelowna
Kinship Stories: A Time to Be Heard
Join us for on May 21st for a meaningful event hosted by the UBCO School of Social Work, the Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families, and Fairness for Children Raised by Relatives, hosted at the UBCO UNC Theater, which is on the unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. This event will feature a screening of powerful digital stories created by kin caregivers. Through these stories, caregivers share their personal experiences, challenges, and rewards.
Following the screening, a panel discussion will bring together perspectives from researchers, practitioners, and kinship caregivers. Together, we’ll explore how we can better support and strengthen services for kinship families. We invite families, community members, service providers, policymakers, and anyone interested in child and family well-being to register and join us for this engaging and impactful event.
Date: Wednesday, May 21st, 2025
Time: 1:30 to 3:45 PM PST
Location: UBC Okanagan, Students’ Union Theatre (UNC106), 3272 University Way, Kelowna
CSSCF Reading and Writing Retreats
Need dedicated time to read and write? Want supportive accountability and encouragement? The Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families with another series of our four 4-day hybrid reading and writing retreats. Stay tuned for upcoming retreats!
Each reading and writing retreat will comprise of focused reading and writing blocks and dedicated times to take breaks and check-in. Learn more about a sample schedule here.
We ask that participants try their best to commit to as many days as possible to provide support and accountability for each other. PhD students and faculty are welcome to join us! If you are interested or would like to sign-up, please email Barbara Lee (b.lee@ubc.ca).
Kinship Stories: A Time to Be Heard
Vancouver Event
On February 19th, 2025, The Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families, and Fairness for Children Raised by Relatives featured a screening of powerful digital stories created by kin caregivers. Through these stories, caregivers shared their personal experiences, challenges, and rewards.
Following the screening, a panel discussion brought together perspectives from researchers, practitioners, and kinship caregivers. Together, they explored how to better support and strengthen services for kinship families. Families, community members, service providers, policymakers, and individuals interested in child and family well-being came together for this impactful event.
Applied Research and Evaluation in Child, Youth and Family Services Symposium
Date: Friday, April 12th, 2024
Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm PST
Location: In-person at the UBC Vancouver Campus, Civil and Mechanical Engineering Building, Room 1215; Virtual via Zoom
Please join us for an exciting program of research presentations presented by the MSW student researchers in SOWK 554C 002!
Transformative Child Welfare Panel
The Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families is pleased to present a hybrid panel presentation featuring speakers from various child and family serving organizations. This event will discuss changes in practice and the impact of the Federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children and youth in British Columbia.
Our panelists include:
- Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services: Alison Grundle, Practice Manager, Intake Collaborative Practice, OOCO & Melanie Davidson, Practice Consultant
Ministry of Children and Family Development: Leigh Green, Mentoring and Development Team Lead, Tiana Russo, Practicum Student from UBC & Maribel Marioni, Social Worker
Westcoast Family Centres: Aaron Rivard, Indigenous Family Counsellor, Indigenous Education Consultant
This event is open to all faculty and Social Work students at UBC Vancouver and Okanagan.
Date: Friday, March 15, 2024
Time: 3pm-4pm
Location: In-person (UBCV); Virtual via Zoom (UBCV and UBCO)
CSSCF Reading and Writing Retreats
Need dedicated time to read and write? Want supportive accountability and encouragement? The Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families hosts 4-day hybrid reading and writing retreats each academic year!
Each reading and writing retreat will comprise of focused reading and writing blocks and dedicated times to take breaks and check-in. Learn more about a sample schedule here.
Past Hybrid 4-day Reading and Writing Retreats
- April 14 – 17, 2025
- February 18 – 21, 2025
- December 16 – 20, 2024
- November 12 – 15, 2024
- April 15 – 19, 2024
- February 20 – 23, 2024
- December 18 – 21, 2023
Times: 10am to 5pm daily
Location: In-person (UBCV); Virtual via Zoom (UBCV and UBCO)
Each reading and writing retreat will comprise of focused reading and writing blocks and dedicated times to take breaks and check-in. Learn more about the schedule here.
We ask that participants try their best to commit to as many days as possible to provide support and accountability for each other. If you are interested or would like to sign-up, please email Barbara Lee (b.lee@ubc.ca).
Invitation to the School of Social Work’s Indigenous Speaker Series Event
This event is hosted by the UBC School of Social Work, and will discuss the process and success of jurisdictional negotiations with federal and provincial governments for child and family services for Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations on northern Vancouver Island, BC. Additional information about the event and the link to RSVP is available. Please RSVP by November 17th, 2023.
Date: Wednesday, November 29th, 2023
Time: 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Location: UBC First Nations Longhouse, Sty-Wet-Tan Great Hall
International Symposium on Voices of Community Collaboration on Youth Mental Health
This event is hosted by the Children and Youth Mental Health Project, University of Calgary.
Date: Friday, November 17th, 2023
Times: 9:30am to 4pm Mountain Standard Time/8:30am to 3pm Pacific Standard Time
Location: Edmonton, Alberta; Virtual via Zoom
Learn more about this opportunity on the event poster.
Hybrid 4-day Reading and Writing Retreat (Fall Midterm Break)
Dates: Tuesday, November 14th to Friday, November 17th, 2023
Times: 10am to 5pm daily
Location: In-person (UBCV); Virtual via Zoom (UBCV and UBCO)
March 13, 2023 from 10:00 am- 11:30am: Lunch and Learn Transformative Child Welfare Practice: Integrating Trauma-Informed Perspectives with Dr. Lee, Michelle O’Kane, and MCFD Panelists
Transformative CW_Panel Presentation 2023
Students on the Okanagan campus are invited to join the hybrid event on campus in Art 203. Following the event, there will be time for discussion with Dr. Dow-Fleisner, Director for the CSSCF. For this unable to attend on campus, please email Michelle O’Kane (email in flyer below) for the Zoom link.
(Last Update: May 7, 2024)