Skip to content

The National African American Child and Family Research Center (NAACFRC)
2024 Community-Engaged Research (CER) Conference:
CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies


June 6, 2024 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT | Hybrid
Shirley Massey Executive Conference Center
Morehouse College
Atlanta, GA

The purpose of NAACFRC’s Annual CER Conference is to present a program that builds research capacity, specifically in community-engaged research, in African American communities. Community-engaged research is defined “not by the methods used, but the principles that guide the research and the relationships between researchers and the community.” This research may range from involving community members in an advisory capacity to community members as leads and/or equal partners in the research.

Within this 2024 conference, we showcase community-engaged research including innovative research approaches, stories of successful research collaborations, and lessons learned within the following program tracks:

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Head Start/Early Head Start
Childcare Assistance

Please see the agenda for full program session descriptions.

Conference Video replays

Opening Keynote & Parent-Power Panel: Community-Engaged Research with Parents to Advance Equity in Services for African American Children and Families

Opening Greetings & Keynote: Latrice Rollins, PhD, NAACFRC, MSM; Amanda Coleman, PhD, MA, Deputy Division Director, Division of Children and Family, Development, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF/HHS; Alex Crosby, MD, MPH, Vice Chair and Professor, Community Health and Preventive Medicine, MSM; William P. Jackson, PhD, Village of Wisdom. 

More

Safe First Steps: A Community-Based Approach to Supporting Families Exposed to Trauma and Violence 

The goal of the Safe First Steps program is to share information with early childhood providers, schools, and families about the strategies that can be implemented to reduce re-traumatization and promote recovery for individuals dealing with intergenerational trauma and exposure to adverse childhood experiences.

More

Community Engaged Research in Economic Mobility and Poverty Alleviation

This NAACFRC 2024 CER Conference: CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies program session includes three presentations about using community-engaged research to approach different economic mobility and poverty alleviation sectors.

More

Advancing Research in Early Care and Education for African American Children

Three presentations will be shared within this NAACFRC 2024 CER Conference: CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies program session:

More

Simulive Webinar Presentations 

Two presentations will explore systemic barriers and regional disparities in early childhood education. The topics included:

More

Incorporating Lived Experiences into Federal Research Practices  

Many federal agencies are exploring options to engage people with lived experience in federally funded research and evaluation. This session will describe how a community advisory board (CAB) can fulfill this need, how to convene a CAB in the federal research context, and lessons learned from the perspectives of one project’s CAB members, research firm staff, and federal staff.

More

Emerging Scholar Showcase

NAACFRC Emerging Scholars, doctoral and medical students who have been mentored by NAACFRC co-investigators share their research in early care and education and the well-being of African American children and families. There are five emerging scholar presentations:

More

Policy Power Panel and Closing Remarks 

The final panel and closing remarks are shared as the NAACFRC 2024 CER Conference: CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies Conference wraps up.

More
Latrice Rollins

Moderator

Latrice Rollins, PhD, MSW
Director, NAACFRC

Special Guests

Jackson-William-cropped

William P. Jackson, Ph.D
Chief Dreamer
Village of Wisdom

Cooksey-Charli-cropped

Charli Cooksey, M.A.
Founder & CEO
WE Power St. Louis

Amanda-Coleman-cropped

Amanda Coleman, PhD, MA
Deputy Division Director, Division of Children and Family Development, OPRE

Curenton-Stephanie-cropped

Stephanie Currenton, PhD
Executive Director, Center on the Ecology of Early Development

Guest Speakers

Darrell Armstrong, DDiv-hc, MDiv, EdS, Founder, Faith-leaders Allied and Aligned to Institute Trust in the Home (FAAITH)

Leslee Barnes, Director, Preschool and Early Learning Division, Multnomah County

Ebonee Bell, Member, Multnomah Idea Lab

Tyrone Bell, MPH, Pillars Initiative, NAACFRC Community Pilot Project Program

Keon N. Berry, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Sociology, Morehouse College

Cassandra Bolar, PhD, Co-Investigator, NAACFRC

Briana Bostic, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Baltimore Education Research Consortium

Kesha Canda, Member, Multnomah Idea Lab

Sando Zou-Capuzzi, Young Parent Leader, Center for the Study of Social Policy

Breanna Chachere, MPH, 2022 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC

Mikayla Charles, MPH, Pillars Initiative, NAACFRC Community Pilot Project Program

Kim Clum, Senior Social Science Research Analyst, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF/HHS

Amanda Coleman, PhD, MA, Deputy Division Director, Division of Children and Family Development, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF/HHS

Charli Cooksey, MA, Founder & CEO, WEPOWER

Alex Crosby, MD, MPH, Vice Chair and Professor, Community Health and Preventive Medicine, MSM

Stephanie M. Curenton, PhD, Executive Director, Center on the Ecology of Early Development, Boston University

Tiffany Cuthbert, M.Ed, MNM, Founder, Executive Director, Pillars Initiative, NAACFRC Community Pilot Project Program

Jennifer Daniels, PhD, MSW, National Poverty Fellow, Institute for Research on Poverty, OPRE/ACF/HHS

Parker Gilkesson Davis, MPP, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

Desha Elliott, PhD Student, Clark Atlanta University

Parthenia Fields, Member, Community Advisory Board

Avis Files, Director, Family and Supportive Services, Pathway

Ife Floyd, MPP, Director of Economic Justice, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute

Shedrick Garrett, MA, 2023 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC

Dr. Lynda Gibson, PhD, Director, Psychological Services Center, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Leah Hamilton, MSW, PhD, Principal Investigator of the Family Economic Policy Lab, Appalachian State University

Alycia Hardy, MPA, Vice President of Policy and Research, National Black Child Development Institute

Kissie Hunt, Executive Administrative Assistant, Coastal Plain Area EOA, Inc. 

Fatoumata “Fatima” Kane, Program Analyst, Youth Power, Parent Power Initiative, Center for the Study of Social Policy

Brianna Lemmons, PhD, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University

Ericka Lewis, PhD, LMSW, School of Social Work, University of Maryland

Anthony Lizarraga, MS, 2023 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC

Robert Mayberry, MPH, MS, Co-Lead, Capacity-Building, NAACFRC, MSM

Marla McDaniel, PhD, Senior Fellow, Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population, Urban Institute

Patrick McFarlane, Government Relations Manager, Child Care Resource Center

Brian McGregor, PhD, Co-Investigator, Criminal Justice & Health, NAACFRC, MSM

Jordan Murphy, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, Executive Director, Girassol Wellness, NAACFRC Community Pilot Project Program 

Aaron Quick, MSW, PhD Student, Clark Atlanta University

Arthi Rao, PhD, Co-Investigator, NAACFRC

Bridget Ratajczak, MA, Child and Family Development Supervisor, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning

Megan Reid, PhD, Social Science Research Analyst, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF/HHS

Latrice Rollins, PhD, MSW, Director NAACFRC, MSM

Amber B. Sansbury-Scott, M.Ed., 2023 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC

Christian Slacks, Parent, Head Start Policy Council Member, Coastal Plain Area EOA, Inc. 

Anthony D. Smith II (Aremu Mbande), MS, 2023 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC

Nina Smith, PhD, Co-Investigator, NAACFRC

Simone Smith, MSW, LMSW, PhD Student, Clark Atlanta University

Allison Stephens, PhD, M.Ed., Director, Networks and Policy, HOPE National Resource Center

Jareese Stroud, Co-Lead, Capacity-Building, NAACFRC, MSM

Tanya Thomas, PhD, Executive/Head Start Director, Coastal Plain Area EOA, Inc.

Ebony Tolbert, Family Peer Ambassador, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning

Rodney Washington, PhD, Co-Investigator, Early Care and Education, NAACFRC

Ashley Watts, MPA, EdD Student, Educational Policy, Marymount University 

Voycetta Marie White, Member, Multnomah Idea Lab

All general and breakout sessions were experienced
in-person and broadcasted live through Zoom.

Program Booklet

Enjoy the experience of the conference by downloading the program book of the conference.

Event Photos

kente strip

CONTACT INFORMATION

National African American Child and Family Research Center

720 Westview Drive SW 
Atlanta, Georgia 30310
Contact email: info@naacfrc.org

This project is supported by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award (Grant #: 90PH0031-01-00) totaling $1.8 million with 100 percent funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements.

© Copyright National African American Child and Family Research Center 2024. All rights reserved.