The ICCR is based at Queen’s University Belfast and receives core funding from the Health & Social Care (HSC) R&D Office. The aim of the Institute is to play a key role in influencing the development of child care policy and practice in Northern Ireland.

In pursuit of this aim the Institute has three major objectives:
• to identify and conduct original research into child care needs and services through using and developing a mix of research methods and varied forms of dissemination;
• to offer training and consultation on undertaking and applying child care research;
• to provide postgraduate research supervision for postgraduate students undertaking and completing child care research.

The programme of work in the Institute is organized around four different themes as follows:
• Youth development, lifestyles and social behaviour :
• Parenting and the early years:
• Children in the care of public authorities or adopted:
• Mental health and disability in children and young people

Further information on the Institute is available on their website: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/InstituteofChildCareResearch/

The CCRF was established in 2004 by a number of academics and NGOs with a common interest in child care research. It has wide-ranging representation, comprising academic institutions, NGOs and statutory organisations with a broad range of professions represented, including social care, psychology, education and nursing.

The overall aim of the Child Care Research Forum (CCRF) is to develop a crosscutting research culture between academics, policy makers and practitioners through collaborative action here in Northern Ireland.

The Forum is hosted by the ICCR and funded by the HSC R&D Office. Further information on the forum is available using the following link: http://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/ccrf/