University of Minnesota. Center for Urban and Regional Affairs

The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) was established in 1968 to assist communities across Minnesota find solutions to issues with housing, job placement, access to health and human services, crime and educational opportunities. The goal of CURA is to find avenues that allow faculty and staff of the University of Minnesota to work with groups and agencies in the local communities to find solutions to current problems. CURA also oversees the University's survey research center.

The Teenage Paternity Study was conducted in the 1980s, focusing on young, unmarried parents and how they established legal paternity for their children. The study was conducted by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota; the principal investigator was Esther Wattenberg.

Minnesota Family Day Care Training Project (MnFDCTP), also referred to as the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Project (MnCWTP), was an initiative organized by the School of Social Work and Social Services Training Projects Office, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota. The purpose of the project was to “provide training and training materials for child welfare staff in the public welfare system of the State based on an integrated developmental approach to their work with children and their parents.” The MnFDCTP created a monthly newsletter that ran for 6 months that covered various topics related to child welfare. In addition, the MnFDCTP set up multiple training sessions that were presented across the state. Also, a series of slide shows, filmstrips, and radio and television programs covering a variety of topics were created for use in training. The year-long program ran from July 1975 through the end of June 1976.