Nancy Rolock (she|her|hers) is the Henry L. Zucker Professor and an associate professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University. She has conducted child welfare-related research since 1996. Dr. Rolock received her doctorate from the University of Illinois-Chicago, and served on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee prior to her appointment at Case Western Reserve. Dr. Rolock is committed to using intervention research and implementation science to build evidence-informed services and supports for children and families currently or previously involved in the child welfare system.
Dr. Rolock has directed research related to examining the long-term outcomes for children and youth who have exited foster care through adoption or guardianship (post-permanency research). Dr. Rolock is currently the Principal Investigator for a multi-year federally funded Understanding Post Adoption and Guardianship Instability for Children and Youth Who Exit Foster Care project. Through her collaboration with Research Triangle Institute International on this project, Dr. Rolock will conduct a rigorous exploration of family experiences and outcomes post legal finalization of adoption or guardianship. Dr. Rolock directed the research for the National Quality Improvement Center for Adoption and Guardianship Support and Preservation that worked in conjunction with eight jurisdictions across the country to implement and evaluate interventions aimed families who have adopted or taken guardianship of children previously in foster care. Understanding the risk and protective factors associated with the long-term stability of children, youth, parents and guardians is of utmost importance to the understanding of child and family well-being. Dr. Rolock seeks to illuminate these issues through her research.
Additional Information
In the News
Broken adoptions, buried records: How states are failing adoptees
May 23, 2022
Nancy Rolock presents at two virtual international conferences
August 12, 2021
SSWR 2021 Virtual Conference: Award Winner & Presentations
January 19, 2021
Nancy Rolock co-edits book on child welfare
August 28, 2020
Nancy Rolock appointed Henry L. Zucker Professorship
January 21, 2019
New Breed of Social Work Researcher: Nancy Rolock Receives UWM Research Award
October 31, 2019