Child, Youth and Family Services Management

Effect change through organizations that shape the lives of children and their families

Students in the CYF concentration focus on the broad spectrum of programs and policies that affect family and community life. Students become well versed in the dramatic social, political, and economic changes as well as new directions in system and program design, organizational development, and social capital and community building.

The CYF concentration prepares students for a wide variety of leadership roles in organizations focused on the health and well-being of children, youth and families. They engage in rigorous coursework and pursue career-building opportunities through internships, fellowships, and in-house research projects, putting them in an immediate position to take their careers to the next level as managers, program planners, evaluators, policy analysts, researchers, and educators.

Concentration Chair: Marji Erickson Warfield, PhD’91

Marji Erickson Warfield, PhD’91

“We guide students toward understanding critical connections between theory, research, and lived experiences, and introduce them to social justice leaders and community-based organizations in order to further their passion for program and system change in support of all children, youth and families.”

Connection to Heller Research Institutes and Centers

Students in this concentration benefit from access to faculty in two research groups. The Institute for Child, Youth, and Family Policy researches the health, education, and housing conditions needed for healthy childhoods and identifies disparities in access to those conditions. The Center for Youth and Communities works to improve the quality of education, workforce development, and community systems in order to prepare young people for college, work, and life.

Course requirements

The full spectrum of MBA core courses (52 credits)
Courses selected from the following list in consultation with a faculty advisor (12 credits):
- HS 212a, Contemporary Issues in Gender and Public Policy (4 credits)
- HS 216f, Policy Perspectives on Women, Work and Inequality (2 credits)
- HS 217f, Citizen Leadership: Problems, Policies, and Civic Actions (2 credits)
- HS 304a, Environmental Justice and the Human Effects of Climate Change (4 credits)
- HS 307a, Immigration Policy and Human Rights (4 credits)
- HS 309f, Policy Approaches to Gender-Based Violence (2 credits)
- HS 312f, National and International Perspectives on Youth Policies and Programs (2 credits)
- HS 320f, LGBT Justice: A History of Pride, Prejudice, and Policy in the United States (2 credits)
- HS 324a, Social Experimentation in Child, Youth and Family Policymaking (4 credits)
- HS 334a, Child and Family Policy (4 credits)
- HS 334f, Disability Policy: Intersections with Health, Poverty, Education and Family Policy (2 credits)
- HS 335f, Perspectives on Youth Policy, Program Management and Systems Design (2 credits)
- HS 342b, Policy Advocacy, Protest, and Community Organizing (4 credits)
- HS 346b, Policy Perspectives on Criminal Justice Disparities (4 credits)
- HS 360f, Balance Wheel of the Social Machinery? Context and Contention in K-12 Education (2 credits)
- HS 534b, Perspectives on Economic and Racial Equity (4 credits)
- ED 155b, Education and Social Policy (4 credits)
The successful completion of a Team Consulting Project (TCP) in which students consult on a significant management problem at a mission-driven organization or government agency.

Alumni Spotlight

Imene Bouziane Saidi, MBA’22

Program Director, Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities

“During my time at Heller and particularly with the Child, Youth and Families cohort, I developed a framework that is rooted in collaboration, effective problem solving and developing solutions to real world issues centered around disability inclusion, social justice and equity. Applying this theory of change model at Heller and beyond has been critical in my career advancement.”