As a research institute, we are dedicated to improving policy, advancing practice and strengthening families and communities. Together with our partners, we make life better for others through our focus on program and policy evaluation, evidence-based practice, data analytics and innovative data visualizations.
The Institute for Families in Society was created in the 1990s through the interdisciplinary efforts of a task force commissioned by the University of South Carolina. By 1992, the Institute was securely grounded by a generous donation from Cindy and Evan Nord. Working across disciplines and programs, the Institute has conducted research with a variety of partners to reduce child abuse, strengthen and engage families and communities, and improve the health of vulnerable populations.
The mission of the Institute is to use university-community interdisciplinary research and practice as a platform to advance the science of helping families and vulnerable populations.
The 2022 Smith Scholarship Awards applications are now open for full-time undergraduate students from the UofSC Columbia campus planning to pursue a career in direct service to children, youth, or families. To see full eligibility and to apply, students and nominating faculty members can click here.
Dr. Bobby Donaldson, an Associate Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina-Columbia was recently awarded the Billingsley Faculty Award for the year 2021.
Passion for public health policy leads Briana Thompson Ford to pursue Master of Public Health in Health Services Policy and Management while working as a health research analyst at the UofSC Institute for Families in Society.
VOICES/VOCES is a play in Spanish and English based on interviews conducted with women throughout South Carolina who were covered by Medicaid for pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care. This creative work, funded by the IFS, elevates women’s voices and demonstrates the importance of including women and consumers in shaping responsive and culturally sensitive health care systems. Achieving equitable health care requires including diverse voices in the discussions and decision-making processes that ultimately define policies and programs. The original research was conducted under contract with SC Healthy Connections Medicaid in support of the SC Birth Outcomes Initiative to better understand pregnancy and birth inequities in the context of COVID-19 among women who rely on Medicaid/Emergency Medicaid for their pregnancy-related care. The main findings for that study are summarized in the VOICES/VOCES report available by clicking HERE.
The VOICES/VOCES had a live theatre performance on October 21 and 22, 2021.
With Duke Endowment funding, through the project CHARGED3, IFS has launched a resource hub focused on SC’s youngest. The hub showcases the latest Geospatial Environmental Scan© developed by IFS—an interactive research tool designed to explore geographic gaps and patterns in access to children’s health care and available resource programs.
Diana Rizzo, from New York, a senior Public Health major in the Arnold School of Public Health was recently awarded the Smith Scholarship Award for the year 2021.
Dr. Ana Lòpez-De Fede from the college's Institute for Families in Society was recently recognized for her efforts to quality assurance and improvements in health care.
