Staff Bio

Wendy Breitner, Ph.D.

Director, Child Welfare Services

Dr. Breitner has worked with families and children in the Child Welfare system and/or individuals with developmental disabilities throughout her professional career. She developed the Family Program at WIHD in 1986 in collaboration with the local Department of Social Services. Through grants and contracts generated with DSS, she has expanded the program over the years to its current capacity, serving children in foster care, their birth families and foster families as well as adoptive families. Training activities have included training caseworkers, foster parents and adoptive parents about the health, developmental, mental health and educational needs of children in foster care and accessing services for those children. Dr. Breitner has taught graduate and post- graduate classes and conducts research in area of Child Welfare issues.