Kristina Lovato

Principal Investigator, Building the Capacity of Systems to Serve Unaccompanied Immigrant Transitional Age Youth (TAY)

Since 2014, the U.S. has seen a significant migration of youth and families from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador—driven by poverty, violence, political instability, and natural disasters. In response, U.S. policies have increasingly emphasized immigration enforcement, reduced legal relief options, and weakened protections for Latinx immigrant families. Transitional-age youth (TAY), particularly those aged 18–24 who experienced forced family separation during migration, face compounding trauma across pre-, peri-, and post-migration stages. As they transition from a “protected” to undocumented legal status, many forgo public benefits and services due to fears related to their legal vulnerability, placing them at heightened risk for housing instability, limited economic opportunity, and child welfare involvement. This study examines the mental health and social service needs of unaccompanied TAY through semi-structured interviews with affected youth, child welfare workers, and service providers. The project aims to inform culturally responsive, equity-driven interventions that reduce systems involvement and promote stability. This research is supported by Casey Family Programs and the Emerging Poverty Scholars Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty.

Co-Principal Investigator, An Examination of Immigration Status and Its Implications for Transition-Age Youth in the Child Welfare System

In collaboration with Drs. Anthony Gomez, Andrea Lane Eastman, and Mark E. Courtney of the Child Welfare Indicators Transition-Age Youth Research and Evaluation TAY Hub at California Child Welfare Indicators Project,  this study examines the prevalence and experiences of undocumented minors and young adults involved with the child welfare system. The study uses administrative child protective case records to provide a foundational measure of youth immigration status documentation in California leading up to the enactment of Assembly Bill 829. Additionally, we examine relationships between youth immigration status and Transitional Independent Living Plan (a semi-annual document describing youths’ goals, and the resources needed to achieve them; TILP) outcomes. 

Co-Principal Investigator, Sibling Prosocial Relationship Questionnaire (SPRQ)

 This is a five-year, $3 million NIH R01 grant awarded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The project—led by PI Megan Holmes of Case Western Reserve University—aims to develop and validate the Sibling Prosocial Relationship Questionnaire (SPRQ), a first-of-its-kind, bilingual (English and Spanish) measure designed to assess sibling relationship quality through the lens of prosocial interaction. By moving beyond traditional binary measures of conflict or warmth, the SPRQ captures the nuanced social processes that shape sibling dynamics and promote child development. This innovative tool has the potential to transform research and clinical practice by informing strategies to enhance emotional regulation, social connectedness, and overall child wellbeing.

Quoted in: 

• Berkeleyside. (2025, May 16). Welfare check or immigration enforcement? ICE visits Berkeley homehttps://www.berkeleyside.org/2025/05/16/ice-visit-berkeley-welfare-check

• El Tímpano. (2025, May 7). As safe spaces shrink, immigrant youth find solace in ‘the beautiful game.” https://www.eltimpano.org/reporting/as-safe-spaces-shrink-immigrant-youth-find-solace-in-the-beautiful-game/

• El Tímpano & KQED. (2025, March 28). Soaring housing costs make life even more challenging for Oakland’s unaccompanied minorshttps://www.kqed.org/news/2025/03/28/oakland-unaccompanied-minors-housing-crisis

• KQED. (2025, February 13). ICE, schools and children: What families should knowhttps://www.kqed.org/news/2025/02/13/ice-schools-children-family-guide

• The Guardian. (2025, February 10). How hardline anti-immigrant policies are threatening the right to educationhttps://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/feb/10/hardline-anti-immigration-policies-right-to-education

Lovato, K., Bui, D., Zaragoza, M. (2025). Understanding the needs of unaccompanied immigrant children separated from their parents under Zero Tolerance Policy in the U.S: A Systematic literature review. Children and Youth Services Review.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108296

Lovato, K., Sepp, S. (2025). Understanding the Needs of Immigrant Families who Are Involved in the Public Child Welfare System: A Case for Transformation. Families in Society, 106 (2). https://doi.org/10.1177/104438942413123

Gomez, A., Lovato, K.K., Eastman, A., Courtney, M. (2025- In Press). An Examination of Immigration Status and its Implications for Transition-Age Youth in the Child Welfare System. Families in Society.

Holmes, M.R. O’Donnell, K.A. Lovato, K. Kramer, L. Korsch-Williams, A.E. Herceg, A.E. Stephens, S.O. (2024). Exploring sibling relationship quality among Latinx siblings: A Systematic review. Behav. Sci. 14, x. https://doi.org/10.3390/xxxxx

Zambrana, R.E., Lovato, K. (2024).Evaluation dilemmas: lessons learned in improving intervention outcomes and sustainability in Latin American communities. New Directions for Evaluation; 1-12. 

Lovato, K., Finno-Velasquez, M., Sepp, S., Clayton, E., Wright, K. (2024).  An Examination of Child Welfare Agency Models Serving Immigrant Children and Families. Journal of Public Child Welfare.

Lovato, K. Orr, M. Weng, S.J. (2024). Cambodian American social services providers in pursuit of social justice for the well-being of the Cambodian American community members, Journal of Community Practice, DOI: 10.1080/10705422.2024.2313545

Lovato, K., Finno-Velazquez, M., Sepp, S., Ramirez, J.J., Hernandez-Mekonnen, R., Mendoza, V. (2023). Working with Immigrants who Are Child Welfare Involved: Promoting Innovative Collaborations and Systems Involvement During a Public Health Crisis. Families in Society.

Lovato, K., & Abrams, L.S. (2022). A qualitative examination of service utilization among Latinx immigrant families following a deportation-related family separation. Child Welfare Journal. 100(4)113-141.

*Lovato, K., Finno-Velasquez, M., Sepp, S., Ramirez, J., Mendoza, V., Mekonen, R.H. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 and immigration enforcement on service delivery for immigrant origin families involved in the child welfare system. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 1-14.

*Lovato, K., & Ramirez, J.  (2022). Addressing the social service needs of Latinx families impacted by COVID-19 and immigration related stressors. Journal of Social Service Research, 1-15.

Nourazari, S., Lovato, K., Weng, S. (2021). Making the case for proactive strategies to alleviate homelessness: A systems approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 526; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020526

*Ramirez, J. & Lovato, K (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on Latinx immigrant children and families: A call to action. COVID-19 and Child Welfare: Challenges and Responses. CWLA (Child Welfare League of America), Pp. 35-40.

Lovato, K., Abrams, L.S. (2020). Enforced separations: A qualitative examination of how Latinx families cope with family disruption following the deportation of a parent. Families in Society, 1-17.

Lovato, K. (2019). Forced separations: A qualitative examination of how Latinx adolescents cope with parental deportation. Children and Youth Services Review, 98, 42-50.

Lovato, K., Lopez, C., Karimli, L., Abrams, L.S. (2018).The impact of deportation related family separations on the well-being of Latinx children and youth: A review of the literature. Children and Youth and Services Review, 95, 109-116.

Lovato-Hermann, K., Dellor, E., Tam, C., Curry, S. R., & Freisthler, B. (2017). Racial disparities in service referrals for families in the child welfare system. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 11(2)1-17. doi.10.1080/15548732.2016.1251372 

Enano, S., Freisthler, B., Perez-Johnson, D., Lovato-Hermann, K. (2016). Evaluating parents in partnership: A Preliminary study of a child welfare intervention designed to increase reunification. Journal of Social Service Research,  1-10. doi: 10.1080/01488376.2016.1253634

Lovato-Hermann, K. (2015). Crossing the border to find home: A Gendered perspective of the separation and reunification experiences of Mexican immigrant young adults in the U.S. Journal of International Social Work, 59, 1-15. doi: 10.1177/0020872815611197

Dellor, E., Lovato-Hermann, K, Price, J., Curry, S. Friesthler, B. (2015). Introducing technology into child welfare. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 33(4), 330-344. doi: 10.1080/15228835.2015.1107520

(*Indicates publication with a graduate student)

Co-Principal Investigator, “Development and Validation of the Sibling Prosocial Relationship Questionnaire.” Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH) 1R01HD115632-01A1. $3,000, 000.

Principal Investigator, “Building the Capacity of Child Welfare Systems to Serve Immigrant Transitional Age Youth (TAY) during the Transition to Adulthood” (2024-2026) University of Wisconsin, Emerging Poverty Fellows Program, Institute for Research on Poverty, Fellowship Award Recipient: $60,000.

Principal Investigator, “Building the Capacity of Child Welfare Systems to Serve Immigrant Transitional Age Youth (TAY) during the Transition to Adulthood” (2024) Casey Family Programs: $42,000. (2024-2025)

Principal Investigator, “Building the Capacity of Child Welfare Systems to Serve Immigrant Transitional Age Youth (TAY) during the Transition to Adulthood.” Society of Hellman Fellows Fund: UC Berkeley, (2024) $43,345.20.

Principal Investigator, Cluster, “Todo Por Mi Familia”, Small Grant Award: UC Berkeley Latinx Research Center, Latinx and Democracy $14,700 (2023–2024)

Principal Investigator, “Todo Por Mi Familia”, UC Regents Junior Faculty Fellowship (RJFF) $7,500 (2023–2024).
Othering and Belonging Institute, UC Berkeley, Faculty Cluster Research Grant, with Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative, $3,500 (2023–2024)
UC Berkeley, Spark Grant, Summer 2023-2024 “Examining the Psychosocial and Social Service Needs of Immigrant Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Involved in the Child Welfare System.” Principal Investigator, $7,500.00

UC Berkeley, Latinx Research Center, Faculty Mentored Undergraduate Research Fellowship (FMURF) Program. “Examining the Psychosocial and Social Service Needs of Immigrant Transitional Age Youth (TAY)” Awarded: $9,600 for 2023-2024. The FMURF Program is designed to support outstanding faculty research and the mentoring of outstanding undergraduate students.

National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families, Professional Development Grant Awardee: $2,500 (2023–2024). This is a highly competitive award and offers financial funding for a specialized training.

Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, OBI Faculty Cluster Working Grant, Diversity & Democracy, Local Latinx Collaborative Award: $4,000 (2022–2023)
CSU Chancellor’s Office, “The Study of California Community College Students’ Experience Navigating Basic Needs Insecurity.” Co-Principal Investigator, PI: Dr. Rashida Crutchfield, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Student Voices Award: $38,500 (2022–2024)
Co-Principal Investigator, Co-PIs: Dr. Rashida Crutchfield & Dr. Zita Dixon
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Student Voices: The Study of CA
Community College Students’ Experience Navigating Basic Needs Insecurity. CSU Chancellor’s
Office.

Principal Investigator, Building the capacity of child welfare systems to serve immigrant
Families during COVID-19. Research Scholarly Creative Activities (RSCA) Competition.
Awarded ($4,650.00).

Principal Investigator, Building the capacity of child welfare systems to serve
immigrant families during COVID-19. Research Scholarly Creative Activities (RSCA)
Competition. Awarded ($4,650.00).

Principal Investigator, Building the capacity of child welfare systems to serve immigrant families during COVID-19, CSULB Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, Summer Student Research Assistantship, CSULB Internal Grant Award, 2021,($6,400).

Principal Investigator, Ethics and care: Addressing the health and mental health needs of Latinx families impacted by a deportation-related family separation. Ukleja Center for Ethical Leaders, Faculty Ethics Research Award, CSULB, 2020, ($5,000).

Principal Investigator, Assessing the social services needs of Latinx families impacted by immigration enforcement. Office of Research Sponsored Projects, Summer Student Research Assistantship, CSULB Grant Award, 2020 ($6,400).

Co-Principal Investigator, Co-PIs Dr. Suzie Weng & Dr. Sara Nourazari, addressing homelessness in Long Beach with systems thinking. CSULB Multidisciplinary Research Grant, Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, 2019 ($15,000).

Principal Investigator, Enforced separations: A qualitative examination of how Latino
youth cope with family disruption following the deportation of a parent. Regents of
University of California, Los Angeles, 2017($20,000 and tuition remission) Research
Mentors: Laura Abrams, PhD and Carola Suarez-Orozco, PhD

2024-2026 | Fellowship Awardee, Institute for Research on Poverty at University of Wisconsin, Madison, Emerging Poverty Fellows Award, $60,000. “Building the Capacity of Child Welfare Systems to Serve Immigrant Transitional Age Youth (TAY) during the Transition to Adulthood” (2024-2026)

2024 | Hellman Fellowship Awardee, University of California, Berkeley, $42,253. “Building the Capacity of Child Welfare Systems to Serve Immigrant Transitional Age Youth during the Transition to Adulthood” (2024-2025)

2023 | National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families, Professional Development Grant Awardee, $2,500.00.

2020 | Ukleja Center for Ethical Leaders, Faculty Ethics Research Award, California State University, Long Beach
Ethics and care: addressing the health and mental health needs of Latinx families impacted by a deportation-related family separation. Ukleja Center for Ethical Leaders, Faculty Ethics Research Award, CSULB ($5,000).

2015 | Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Award
Principal Investigator, Immigration related vs. forced family separations.
Regents of University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles ($6,000.00). Research Mentor: Carola Suarez-Orozco, PhD

2014 | Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Award Principal Investigator, “Crossing the border to find home: A Gendered perspective of the separation and reunification experiences of Mexican immigrant young adults in the U.S.” Regents of University of California, Los Angeles
($6,000.00). Research Mentor: Carola Suarez-Orozco, PhD

2014| Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., Social Justice Initiative Grant
Principal Investigator, “An examination of post-migration educational experiences: perspectives from Latino immigrant young adults.” Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation ($1,500.00)

2013 | UCLA Luskin Social Justice Initiative Grant
2012 | UCLA Luskin Senior Fellows Program, Department of Social Welfare
2006 | Phi Alpha Honor Society, San Francisco State University
2004-2006 | Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Fellowship (CalSWEC)
2000 |Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society, Saint Mary's College of CA, Moraga, CA

Teaching

Courses Taught at UC Berkeley, School of Social Welfare

Spring 2025 | SW 241A Foundations of Multilevel Practice

Fall 2024 |  SW 241 Foundations of Multilevel Practice: Assessment & Intervention Planning  with Individuals and Families

Spring 2024 | SW 212 Infancy to Adolescence Child Development

Fall 2023 | SW 241 Multilevel Practice

Spring 2023 | SW 212 Infancy to Adolescence Child Development 

Fall 2022 | SW 241 Multilevel Social Work Practice

Courses Taught at CSU Long Beach, School of Social Work

Spring 2022 | SW 699-05 Applied Projects II

Spring 2022 | SW 699-05 Applied Projects II

Fall 2021 | SW 698-02 Applied Projects I

Fall 2021 | SW 698-04 Applied Projects I

Spring 2021 | SW 699-05 Applied Projects II

Spring 2021 | SW 699-05 Applied Projects II

Fall 2020 | SW 698-05 Applied Projects I

Fall 2020 | SW 698-06 Applied Projects I

Fall 2020 | SW 698-10 Applied Projects I

Fall 2020 | SW 590 SW Practice with Latinx Populations

Spring 2020 | SW 570-01 Intro to Group Work

Spring 2020 | SW 699-06 Applied Projects II

Spring 2020 | SW 699-05 Applied Projects II

Fall 2019 | SW 698-06 Applied Projects I

Fall 2019 | SW 698-05 Applied Projects I

Summer 2019 | SW 643-01 Practice with Child Welfare Services

Spring 2019 | SW 699-05 Applied Projects II

Spring 2019 | SW 699-06 Applied Projects II

Fall 2018 | SW 699-05 Applied Projects I

Fall 2018 | SW 699-06 Applied Projects II

Sping 2018 | SW 699-05 Applied Projects II

Spring 2018 | SW 699-06 Applied Projects II

Fall 2017 | SW 698-05 Applied Projects I

Fall 2017 | SW 698-06 Applied Projects I

Fall 2017 | SW 503-03 Human Behavior and the Social Environment

Courses Taught at CSU Fullerton, Department of Social Work

Spring 2017 | MSW 511-01 Social Work Practice II

Spring 2017 | MSW 578-01 Social Work Practice with Latinos

Spring 2017 | MSW 541-06 Advanced Social Work Field Instruction

Spring 2017 | MSW 541-03 Advanced Social Work Field Instruction

Fall 2016 | MSW 510-01: Social Work Practice I

Fall 2016 | MSW 510-04: Social Work Practice I

Fall 2016 | MSW 540-03: Social Work Field Instruction

Fall 2016 | MSW 540-06: Social Work Field Instruction

Spring 2016 | MSW 511-01: Social Work Practice II

Spring 2016 | MSW 511-03: Social Work Practice II

Spring 2016 | MSW 541-04: Advanced Social Work Field Instruction

Spring 2016 | MSW 541-06: Advanced Social Work Field Instruction

Fall 2015 | MSW 522-01: Child Welfare Policy and Social Work                                       

Fall 2015 | MSW 510-03: Social Work Practice I

Fall 2015 | MSW 540-03: Social Work Field Instruction

Fall 2015 | MSW 540-08:Social Work Field Instruction

Spring 2015 | MSW 543-03: Advanced Social Work Field Instruction II

Spring 2015 | MSW 543-06: Advanced Social Work Field Instruction II

Fall 2014 | MSW 542-03: Advanced Social Work Field Instruction II                                         

Courses Taught at San Francisco State University, School of Social Work

Fall 2011 | SW 740: Field Work Instruction I

Spring 2011 | SW 832: Social Group Work

Spring 2011 | SW 741: Field Work Instruction II

Spring 2011 | SW 741: Field Work Instruction II

Spring 2011 | SW 740: Field Work Instruction I

Journal Service

Editorial Board Member

2022 - Present |  Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services

Clinical Social Work Experience 

2009-2010 | Mental Health Therapist (Bilingual)

• Instituto Familiar de La Raza, San Francisco, CA

2006-2009 | Bilingual Mental Health Therapist 

• Circulo de Vida Cancer Support Center, San Francisco, CA

2006-2010 | Child Protective Services Social Worker (Bilingual)

• Human Services Agency of San Francisco, Family and Children Services, San Francisco, CA

2005-2006 |Child Protective Services Social Work Intern (Bilingual)

• Human Services Agency of San Francisco, Family and Children Services, San Francisco, CA                          

2004-2006 | Clinical Case Manager, Larkin Street Youth Services, San Francisco, CA

2003-2004 | Vocational Coordinator, Fred Finch Youth Center, Oakland, CA

2000-2002 | Case Manager, Highbridge Community Life Center, Bronx, NY

2015 - Present | Member, Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood

2010 - Present |Member, Society for Social Work and Research

2010 - Present|Member, Council on Social Work Education

2010 - Present | Member, Latino/as Social Work Educators