Erikson Institute

ACADEMICS: Through master's degree, doctoral degrees, graduate certificate programs, and a variety of professional development programs, Erikson Institute prepares leaders in child development, social work, and early childhood education. We offer the most comprehensive, interdisciplinary understanding of children and families through classes on campus and online. We also offer programs to help professionals who work with children and families hone their skills, learn new techniques, and earn credits to maintain their professional licenses. In FY 2023, Erikson continued to invest in the growth and refinement of our academic offerings. We launched a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education degree that comes with a triple endorsement in early education, special education, and bilingual/ English as a Second Language-a program that is the first of its kind in the state of Illinois. Further, we were able to offer 19 Educator Impact Grants which covered the full tuition and fees of the program as long as awardees agreed to teach in a divested community for four years following completion of the degree. We also hired Erikson's first ever Dean of Faculty, as well as an Associate Vice President of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. All told, Erikson had 364 total enrolled students in FY 2023, 49% of which identified as non-white, and faculty published 26 articles, wrote nine book chapters, and facilitated 81 presentations.

RESEARCH, POLICY & LEADERSHIP: Erikson's current research projects respond directly to the needs of young children and the people who serve them by focusing on what works and how, and on models that can be replicated. Our groundbreaking research includes several studies that are the first of their kind in the field on topics including home visiting, racial justice in math, and home-based childcare. Erikson's Policy and Leadership Department works to ensure equity for young children and their families by providing key leaders with the knowledge and tools to generate policy solutions that improve access to high-quality early childhood supports and services. The Policy & Leadership team supported Erikson President, Mariana Souto-Manning, in her presentation to the Illinois Senate's Early Childhood Education Committee, which highlighted that 90 percent of the brain is developed by age five and how every $1 invested in quality early childhood programs yields a $7 return. In 2023, the Early Childhood Leadership Academy (ECLA) enrolled 18 Illinois leaders from various sectors in a learning experience that blended expert presentations and activities to build their knowledge of child development and why the first five years are critical. The Policy and Leadership team's Decolonizing Data and Language workshop series saw 255 participants from a wide variety of social service organizations across the United States.

DIRECT CLINICAL SERVICES: Erikson provides a variety of direct services to children and families, as well as consulting and training for professionals who work with them. Our Fussy Baby Network, Center for Children and Families (CCF), and Early Childhood Project, a partnership with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, have served over 7,000 families. Every year, our students contribute over 49,000 hours of field service across 68 agencies that serve children and their families. The team at Erikson's Center for Children and Families consists of psychologists, social workers, developmental and behavioral pediatricians, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and other licensed mental health professionals who provide pediatric mental health services for children aged 0-8, as well as their families and caregivers. In fiscal year 2023, the Erikson DCFS Early Childhood Project served 5,993 children directly through collaborative work, reaching children across the state of Illinois. Erikson also offers programs to help professionals who work with children and families improve their skills, learn new techniques, and earn credits to maintain their professional licenses.