Heather Allan, MSW

Biography

Heather Allan, MSW, brings a unique blend of academic insight and real-world experience to her work in child welfare program evaluation. She earned her BA in Psychology and Politics from NYU and went on to complete her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Denver.

Heather is currently an Assistant Professor at the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, part of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her work focuses on evaluation in child welfare and community-based settings related to child maltreatment prevention, family engagement, decision making, and racial disparities and disproportionality.

At the Kempe Center, she leads several federal and state evaluation projects across the country, helping to shape and improve systems that support children and families. She’s worked directly with youth in group homes and nonprofits, and she’s designed and led evaluations on everything from child maltreatment prevention to organizational culture and decision-making in child welfare settings. Heather is skilled in both qualitative and quantitative research methods and knows how to turn complex data into clear, actionable insights for practitioners and policymakers. She’s published regularly in peer-reviewed journals, reports, and briefs, and she’s a frequent speaker at local and national conferences.