NRC-FAHE
National Research Collaborative for Foster Alumni in Higher Education
About Us
The National Research Collaborative for Foster Alumni in Higher Education (NRC-FAHE) is proud to announce a new partnership with the International Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood from Care (INTRAC).
Together, NRC-FAHE and INTRAC share a commitment to promoting rigorous, equity-centered research; elevating the knowledge and perspectives of people with lived experience; encouraging collaboration across disciplines and national contexts; and connecting research findings to policies and practices that improve young people’s opportunities and outcomes.
This partnership creates new opportunities to exchange knowledge, strengthen cross-national dialogue, and advance evidence-informed strategies that support foster care alumni and other independent students in accessing, persisting in, and succeeding in higher education. INTRAC’s work emphasizes international collaboration, emerging-researcher development, publication, and the use of research to inform policy and practice—goals that closely align with NRC-FAHE’s mission.
Learn more about INTRAC here!
National Research Collaborative for Foster Alumni and Higher Education (NRC-FAHE) is a network of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and lived experts committed to improving higher education pathways for students with foster care experience. NRC-FAHE facilitates collaboration across disciplines to conduct rigorous, equity-centered research, share evidence-informed practices, and shape policies that expand opportunity. By amplifying the voices of foster care alumni and other independent students, and integrating their insights into research and decision-making, NRC-FAHE leads nationwide efforts to make higher education more accessible, inclusive, and supportive.
Exciting news!
NRC-FAHE hosts a webinar series focused on improving college access, persistence, and success for students with foster care and independent status experience. Join researchers, practitioners, and lived experts as we share strategies, tools, and insights to create more equitable higher education systems for those with experience in foster care and/or independent status.
November 16, 2026
11am- Noon PST
2pm-3pm EST
First, Dr. Heidi Crum (recently completed her Ph.D. at West Virginia University) will present her doctoral research exploring program directors' expectations and experiences with collegiate programs of support centering wardship experienced students. Fourteen interviews with program directors were explored to gain insight into these directors' expectations and experiences. From this sample, six program directors engaged in semi-structured interviews to gain a closer look at what expectations and experiences influenced their development and reform of a wardship experience-centered campus support program. This work centers the nuanced student-program-director microsystem.
Second, Dr. Nathanael Okpych (University of Connecticut School of Social Work) will talk about the development of the Four in 4 Project, a website he developed to make his academic publications more accessible to advocates, practitioners, students, and anyone else. Common complaints are that journal articles are too long, are written in technical jargon, and are cost-prohibitive because of access fees. The Four in 4 website provides short video summaries of each publication and a one-page brief, both free and easy to access.
November Webinar Registration Link: Link
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Our newsletter highlights groundbreaking research, innovative college campus initiatives that offer vital support to students with foster care backgrounds, featuring insights from students with lived experience, along with critical policy updates and upcoming events and learning opportunities.
Join our community of foster alumni, students, researchers, and practitioners dedicated to improving postsecondary access and retention for youth with foster care experience and independent status