Justin S. Harty, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Justin S. Harty is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work and Director of the Center for Child Well-Being at Arizona State University, specializing in child welfare, fatherhood, and social work history. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, an MSW with a focus on children and families from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and bachelor’s degrees in sociology and philosophy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Harty is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker whose research and practice address critical issues faced by young fathers transitioning out of foster care, father involvement within child welfare systems, and the historical development of father-focused social services.
Dr. Harty’s research interests include the outcomes and preparedness of young fathers aging out of the foster care system, father engagement in child welfare services, and father-related social services in the history of the social work profession. His current research examines ways to better serve fathers in home visiting, child welfare and foster care settings. His dissertation focused on the experiences and needs of young Black fathers in foster care as they leave state care and transition to independent adulthood and early fatherhood.
Dr. Harty is dedicated to social justice, explicitly working to dismantle systemic racism and colonialism within social work. Grounded in Black social work history, his scholarship confronts white supremacy by leveraging African traditions of self-help and mutual aid, empowering both practitioners and marginalized communities to resist oppression. He serves on the leadership team of the Social Welfare History Group, contributing to comprehensive bibliographies on social work responses to significant societal issues, including pandemics and police violence.
Featured research
Recent publications
Journal articles
Urbanicity and county-level variation in transitional housing placements for transition-age youth in California foster care
Recent talks and conference events
All conference presentations All invited talks
Research pillars
Positions
Faculty
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2022–
Assistant Professor
School of Social Work
Arizona State University
Appointments
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2026–
Director
Center for Child Well-Being
Arizona State University -
2025
Interim Director
Center for Child Well-Being
Arizona State University
Affiliations
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2023–26
Faculty Affiliate
Center for Child Well-Being
Arizona State University -
2022–
Faculty Affiliate
Center for Equitable Family & Community Well-Being
University of Michigan School of Social Work -
2022–
Faculty Affiliate
California Child Welfare Indicators Project
University of California at Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Education
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2022
Ph.D. Social Work and Social Welfare
University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
Dissertation: Fatherhood in foster care: Black fathers aging out of state care in Illinois
Committee: Waldo E. Johnson Jr. (Chair), Mark E. Courtney, & Jennifer L. Bellamy -
2013
M.S.W. Social Work
University of Illinois Chicago Jane Addams College of Social Work
Concentration: Children and Families -
2011
B.A. Philosophy and Sociology
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minor: African American Studies -
2008
A.A. General Studies
William Rainey Harper College Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Concentration: Philosophy and Sociology
Scholarship, teaching, and practice expertise
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Systems
Child welfare: Father engagement; Foster care: Outcomes of young fathers aging out of care
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Fathers
Racial and ethnic minority fatherhood, father involvement, and father engagement
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History
Black contributions to the history of social welfare and social work
Professional license
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2019–
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, #49.021165, Illinois