Heidi Staples, MSW

Heidi Staples, MSW is currently the Director of the UCLA Center of Child Welfare at the Luskin School of Public Affairs Department of Social Welfare, where she oversees training of DCFS staff as well as MSW interns who plan to work in public child welfare.  The six graduate schools of social work in Los Angeles comprise a consortium which works in partnership with the Department of Children and Family Services to provide all levels of staff training, and UCLA specializes in providing training related to adoptions.

Prior to her current position, Heidi was the National Adoption Specialist for the Children’s Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families in Washington DC for four years, where she oversaw two national adoption training centers, the national adoption recruitment campaign in conjunction with the Ad Council, the national photo listing website for children in foster care awaiting adoption, and adoption related articles and publications published on the Child Welfare Information Gateway. She also served as the federal project officer over federal grants to states and counties designed to help them improve their child welfare and adoption programs.

Prior to that position, Ms. Staples spent 25 years in San Diego County Child Welfare Services, the last 10 of which in the adoption program, where she started a multimillion dollar recruitment program, increased adoptions especially of hard-to-place children, and served as Health and Human Services Administrator III.  Ms. Staples worked as a professional trainer for over 15 years, including ten years for the Southern Child Welfare Training Academy. Heidi was adopted as an infant and so understands adoption issues on a personal level as well.