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ICFP@BGSU

About the Institute for Child and Family Policy

Dr. Randy Leite accepts position at Ohio University

Dr. Randy Leite, former Institute for Child & Family Policy Co-Director of Policy Activities, recently left his position at BGSU to become the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Health and Human Services at Ohio University. For the past two years, Dr. Leite has served as the Institute's Policy Activities Director and has been Assistant/Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies at BGSU since 2001. Several Institute projects were fueled by Dr. Leite's passion for positively impacting children and families through policy analysis and research.

Best wishes to Randy on this well-deserved accomplishment...he will be greatly missed!

Dr. Randy Leite

ICFP Goals · Services Available · ICFP Brochures · ICFP Staff

ICFP Goals

Provide policymakers with non-partisan, state-of-the-art information that will help them develop and implement education and social service policies that support Ohio’s youth and strengthen family life
Encourage policymakers to consider the family, educational, and community contexts within which children live when creating policies
Provide a forum for frank and open consideration of various policy dilemmas and options
Facilitate communication among state legislators and staff, state government officials, direct service providers, and researchers
Lessen some of the polarization among policymakers that exists on various educational and social service issues through non-partisan, research-based forums
Build “bridges” between research, policy, and practice
Ensure that research and best practice models are better disseminated and utilized to make informed policy decisions

Services Available

Policy Analysis Services:
- Information: Gather facts about situations of interest to organizations
- Issues: Identify issues relating to situations of interest to organizations
- Impacts: Analyze consequences of policy and legislation for communities
- Implications: Consider possible effects of policy and legislation on people and organizations
- Imperative: Develop recommendations regarding policy alternatives or actions in response to policy and legislation
- Information-sharing: Develop strategies for conveying recommended actions to key constituent groups
Research Services:
- Generate knowledge to support community organizations
- Develop innovative solutions to organizational issues and problems
- Provide analysis and support to enhance organizations
Community Data Services:
- Generate and explore community data
- Identify issues and problems for research
- Develop and maintain databases of community information

ICFP Brochures

ICFP Staff

	Laura Landry Meyer , Ph.D., Director Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies School of Family and Consumer Sciences Ph.D., The Ohio State University, 1999 Curriculum Vitae Dr. Landry Meyer's research addresses family policy with a special focus on grandparent and kinship care and domestic violence. She has many years of experience with the legislative process in Ohio with a focus on bridging research, practice, and policy through her work. Her area of expertise has been in kinship care and program evaluation for non-profit organizations. She is a member of the NCFR policy section, treasurer/secretary for the Ohio Council on Family Relations, and vice president for the Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education.
	Mary Murray , Ed.D., Associate Director - Educational Programs Assistant Professor, Intervention Services School of Intervention Services Ed.D., Bowling Green State University, 2002 Curriculum Vitae Dr. Murray has extensive teaching and administrative experience in inclusive early childhood and school-aged (birth-3, 3-5, and K-12) programs. She holds current teaching and administrative licensure in both regular and special education. Her current teaching, research and scholarship focus is on policy issues related to children with autism and other low incidence disabilities and their families as well as teacher preparation for this group of children. In addition to teaching and scholarship, she provides consultation services to several school districts and social service agencies. Dr. Murray serves on the Northwest Ohio Autism Regional Resource Center Board and is actively involved in the Autism Society of Ohio.
	Leslie Straka , Program Coordinator Ms. Straka supports and promotes the Institute's mission to provide nonpartisan, research-based information to policymakers and agency staff. She helps develop policy briefs and implement community support programs in conjunction with other Institute staff, faculty affiliates, and student interns. Ms. Straka has completed training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), creating maps for spatial analysis of demographics and trends for social service agencies. She was recently designated as a Certified Family Life Educator by the National Council on Family Relations.
	Kate Bowman , Graduate Research Assistant Ms. Bowman contributes to Institute projects through research in best practice and implications for policy improvement. Her research and community interests center on advancing public policy for children and families through advocating for research-based policy. She is a Court Appointed Special Advocate and serves on the Board of Directors as the Advocate Liaison in Hancock County. Ms. Bowman is currently a graduate student in the BGSU Public Administration Masters Program with a program specialization in child and family policy. Ms. Bowman achieved her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Psychology with an emphasis in Child Development and Family Studies at the Purdue University Honor's College.

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