October 19, 2018

Congratulations to James Whittaker, the School’s Charles O. Cressey Endowed Professor of Social Work Emeritus, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the European Scientific Association for Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EUSARF) at its 15th International Conference in Porto, Portugal on Oct. 4, 2018. 

Whittaker’s research and teaching interests include the integration of evidence-based practices into contemporary child and family services, including therapeutic residential care, therapeutic foster care and intensive community and family-centered treatment alternatives, child welfare history and cross-national comparisons of child and family policy and services. A frequent contributor to the professional literature, he is the author, co-author and editor of nine books and more than 100 peer-review papers and book chapters. In all, his works have been translated into Dutch, Danish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Japanese and Korean.

Since formal retirement in 2007, Whittaker has focused his research activities on forging cross-national links in child welfare research: believing that “despite our great size and wealth, U.S. child and family policy and practice remain insular in its thinking and much in need of fresh perspectives on how differing societies deal with common service challenges.” With colleagues from the University of Oviedo, Spain and Oxford University, England, he co-chairs an international working group on therapeutic residential care with representatives from 12 countries.

The EUSARF recognition is particularly meaningful because Whitaker has been an active part of the association since he was first invited to present in 1991, and he has watched it grow as a vital cross-national gathering point for researchers and policy makers in child welfare. “This year’s meeting topped 700 delegates including many younger investigators: a particular pleasure to me,” added Whittaker.