Welcome to the Central California Children’s Institute

The Central California Children’s Institute (CCCI) at California State University, Fresno was established in 2000 by the College of Health and Human Services.  The Institute’s mission is to promote research, policies and practices that support the well-being of children and families, using a regional children’s agenda as the guiding framework.

The Institute’s core functions are:

1) regional planning and mobilization
2) applied research
3) interdisciplinary seminars and training
4) community education and outreach

The CCCI is governed by the Deans of four colleges at the University:

• College of Health and Human Services
• College of Social Sciences
• Kremen School of Education and Human Development
• The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology

Core funding support for the Institute is derived from the CSU, Fresno colleges identified above.  In addition, grant funding has been received from The California Endowment, First 5 Fresno, First 5 Merced, First 5 Tulare, the Mental Health Services Administration (MHSA), The Lucille Packard Foundation for Children's Health, The Central Valley Regional Center, WestCare, and Kaiser Permanente.

The Institute’s programmatic and research priorities for the next five years include the following issue areas identified by the 2009 regional study "Children of the Valley: Framing a Regional Agenda":

• Early psychosocial and emotional development of children
• Youth social behavior (gang violence, teen pregnancy, substance use, high school dropout)
• Parent engagement

The work of the Institute is led by the CCCI Director, Dr. Cassandra Joubert (College of Health and Human Services) and is supported by the following 2011-2012 faculty fellows:

• Dr. Jason Immekus, Kremen School of Education and Human Development
• Dr. Kara Zografos, College of Health and Human Services
• Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Kremen School of Education and Human Development