Research
The NAACFRC aims to lead community-engaged research that supports African American children and families. Using Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), it incorporates community perspectives in developing programs. The focus areas include Early Head Start, child care assistance, and economic mobility, such as TANF.
Community-Engaged Research in Early Care & Education
Leaders from across sectors will share their research and programs with African American children and parents in early care and education.
The Role of Community-Engaged Research in Advancing Equity in Services
In 2021, OPRE issued a brief entitled, Enhancing Rigor, Relevance, and Equity in Research and Evaluation Through Community Engagement, which stated “Community leaders, community members, and researchers increasingly recognize that engaging communities in research and evaluation is critical for implementing effective programs and building trust. Researchers and communities also recognize the value of community-engaged research to improve the rigor and relevance of research and evaluation and better address historical and ongoing systemic inequities. Community-engaged research is more than a project or study; it is a process that requires commitment from researchers and communities to sustain long-term relationships and collaboration.” We will hear from community-engaged researchers and community leaders about the role of research in improving programs and services for African American children and families and ensuring services are equitable through positive outcomes.
Policy Power Panel and Closing Remarks
As the NAACFRC 2024 CER Conference: CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies Conference wraps up, the final keynote, panel and closing remarks are shared. Policy researchers will discuss using data and research to inform policy and ways to reduce the gaps between current human service practices and goals for better quality services and positive outcomes.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Human Services
This webinar discusses research that demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) can be implemented to enhance programs in human services. Speakers address challenges that come with utilizing this technology and share specific AI tools that the community, practitioners, and researchers may find useful.
Bridging Research to Policy
This webinar examines how research can provide support to policy development and improvement, to better serve children and families. Presenters describe the process of translating research findings into key takeaways for policy officials and how to build meaningful relationships between the community and decision-makers with research evidence.
Autism Acceptance from Early Childhood to Adulthood
This webinar is one of two in the NAACFRC Autism Acceptance Month series. The series features dynamic speakers that share their research, lived experiences, recommendations, and opportunities in autism research and support services. This webinar discusses the need to foster autism awareness and acceptance, and how to improve services and opportunities for those with autism.
Autism in Black Families
This webinar is one of two in the NAACFRC Autism Acceptance Month series. The series features dynamic speakers that share their research, lived experiences, recommendations, and opportunities in autism research and support services. This webinar discusses intersectionality in neurodiversity, navigating the challenges of parenting a black adolescent with autism, and explore coping in parents of black autistic children.
Improving TANF economic outcomes with Black participants and families in mind
This NAACFRC research brief highlights the critical need for more detailed, population-specific reporting on employment and earnings outcomes for Black participants in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, revealing that most studies fail to disaggregate results by demographic group. Improved data collection and targeted policy interventions are essential to ensure TANF effectively promotes economic advancement for all families transitioning off assistance.
Mental Health & Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Navigating Challenges & Leveraging Opportunities
This infographic illustrates how the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program could increase chances for successful employment outcomes by facilitating early access to mental health assessments, ensuring that TANF program participants are connected to resources.
Black Families & Legislative History Leading up to TANF
The Black Families & Legislative History Leading Up to TANF infographic details the evolution of cash assistance programs that have led to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program as we know it today. The timeline begins with the establishment of the Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) grant program in the early 1930s and moves through legislative milestones to help us better understand the current state of the TANF program.