Policy Driven Research and Expertise: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Advocacy

Social Work academics are uniquely positioned to inform and educate policy makers on their research expertise. Advocacy is considered by many to be a key role social workers take in the community and within policy-making spaces. However, many academics only prepare policy-ready research and do not engage directly with policymakers. This workshop will present strategies for academics and researchers to engage in the policy-making process and to directly inform policymakers. Examples will be drawn from the presenters’ experience educating state-level policy makers on foster care and education. The presenters, from social work and education, will discuss their experience drafting the South Carolina Fostering Futures Act, a bill introduced in the South Carolina house and senate in January of 2026, that provides a higher education tuition waiver for former foster youth in South Carolina. Their work draws upon their collective lived experiences as a child welfare case manager, former foster youth, foster parent, and educators. This workshop will train academics to use their topical expertise to inform policy makers and offer examples of successful strategies.

Presenters will discuss the following topics with examples of successful approaches and lessons learned: 1) Developing familiarity with your states legislative process, 2) Researching legislation, 3) Finding opportunities to inform policy makers about current gaps in legislation or services, 4) Understanding stakeholders perspectives, 5) Developing a coalition, 6) Exploring strategies for hosting an advocacy day at your state house, 7) Involving social work students. These seven topics will be explored through a case study of the presenters’ experience working on the Fostering Futures Act in South Carolina. The presenters will provide an overview of the bill and how they engaged with legislators during an open call forum to propose the legislation. The presenters will then describe strategies they used to write the bill and how they engaged with policy makers to educate them about the need for educational supports for former foster youth in South Carolina. During this 90-minute session, attendees will have opportunities to discuss content in small groups. Time will be saved at the end for a question and answer session which will draw upon the presenters’ expertise and other policy advocacy experience within the room.