Jan DeCoursey is a Senior Research Specialist at Chapin Hall. Her research interests include the influence of poverty and public systems on child and adolescent development and qualitative research methods. She is involved in evaluating initiatives to improve the child welfare and workforce development systems. She has directed several research projects focusing on youth workforce preparation, and has researched the availability and effectiveness of out-of-school time programs for children and adolescents. Prior to joining Chapin Hall, she led programs and research projects for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, the United Way in Chicago, and Chicago’s I Have a Dream Foundation. She earned a master’s degree from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago.