OCCRL Staff and Affiliates
Chequita S. Brown
Director of Knowledge Management, Casey Family Programs
Chequita S. Brown’s interdisciplinary research interest focuses on examining the lived experiences of students with foster care histories in higher education, including college access and retention, student engagement and development, and college and career outcomes.
Along with her position as director at Casey Family Programs, Dr. Brown is a Child Well-Being Network Research Fellow in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky.
Education
- Ph.D., Education Policy, Organization & Leadership at Illinois
- M.S.; English Studies, Illinois State University
- B.S.; Sociology, Illinois State University
Projects
- Equity Workshops in Community College System (ICCB)
Research Areas
- Lived experiences of minoritized populations in higher education
- College access and wraparound support services for foster youth and former foster-care students
Professional Associations
- American Educational Research Association
- Association for the Study of Higher Education
Webinars
Podcasts
Strategies to Cultivate a Foster-Friendly Culture on Community College Campuses
In this episode, Chequita Brown talks with Kate Danielson of the organization Foster Progress, as well as with Anna Wandtke and Tricia Wagner of Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. The group discusses how to cultivate a foster-friendly culture at Illinois community colleges.
Navigating College as a Foster Care Alum
In this episode, OCCRL research assistant Chequita S. Brown talks with Jonathan Stacy, a sophomore at Heartland Community College who is pursuing his studies and a possible career in criminal justice.
Listen to the podcast and view the transcript.
The Impact of Campus-Based Support Programming on Foster Care Collegians' Postsecondary Access and Retention
In this episode, Chequita Brown of OCCRL talks with Maddy Day about the Fostering Success initiative in Michigan and the impact of campus-based support programming on foster carecollegians' postsecondary access and retention.
How Youth-in-Care in Illinois Can Access Educational Resources to Pursue a Postsecondary Education
In this episode, OCCRL research assistant Chequita Brown continues the conversation on foster care youth by talking about with Patricia Palmer about accessing available resources in Illinois for youth-in-care who want to pursue a postsecondary education.
Publications
By Chequita S. Brown, Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, and Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher
This brief highlights postsecondary programs and services in California that support youth in care, in addition to young adults who are aging out of foster care. Read more.
By Chequita S. Brown
In this OCCRL Thought Paper, Chequita S. Brown relates how tracking the data of students with foster care experience helps to recognize them as a legitimate student population. She offers recommendations on how to do this and conveys the many obstacles that can hinder the academic and career success of foster youth. Read more.
By Chequita S. Brown, Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, and Nathaniel M. Stewart
This research brief provides an overview of programs and services that helps strengthen postsecondary pathways for current and former foster youth in Illinois. Read more.
By Dra. Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, Chequita S. Brown, Dr. Mauriell Amechi, Dr. Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, and Nathaniel M. Stewart
This article discusses how COVID-19 has intensified the vulnerabilities of foster youth and former foster youth, many of whom are Black, Native American, Alaska Native, and multiracial children who have a higher rate of placement into foster care than White youth (Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2016). Read more.
(From the Fall 2020 UPDATE on Research and Leadership)
