Message from Lauren Supplee, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research, and Evaluation
At OPRE we strive to produce evidence that is not only rigorous — but also relevant. As we reflect on 2022, I’m proud of how OPRE’s work responded to many of the most critical issues of the year. This year we planted seeds for better outcomes for children and families by investing in rigorous and relevant research.
COVID-19
As we are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued our work to understand the impacts of the pandemic on ACF programs and the populations ACF serves. We published a wide range of research, ranging from better understanding how remote services were delivered to job seekers with low incomes to the role of a positive organizational culture in responding to the pandemic. We hope this work informs our reflections looking back on pandemic response as well as gives us lessons looking forward to improve service delivery and prepare for future pandemics or disasters.
Racial Equity
In 2022 we continued building understanding of the needs and experiences of diverse populations, maintaining our focus on equity as an overarching goal of our learning activities. We continued work on our Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Human Services Analysis Execution Project and made progress on several other projects devoted to understanding issues of race and equity for human services in the United States. These projects are helping us understand how to not only support more equitable human services but also how to conduct research and evaluation centering equity throughout. This work continues our priority on incorporating more participatory approaches in our work.
Child Care
This year the country saw significant stress on the child care system, a critical support for families, and the central role the early childhood workforce plays in this vital service. Using our National Survey of Early Care and Education we analyzed the cost burden of child care for low-income families, finding the out of pocket costs of child care for low-income families varies substantially. We also convened the National Research Conference on Early Childhood to engage in discussions on the early childhood workforce and equity, among other priority topics.
Economic Recovery
In a period of economic uncertainty, we published an analysis of effective strategies to improve employment outcomes for job seekers with low incomes during economic recessions and recoveries. Importantly the team found twelve of over a hundred interventions examined have more than 90 percent probability of improving labor market outcomes for participants.
Human Services Emergencies
Finally, as the disaster-related needs of ACF programs continue to grow, we helped ACF’s Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response plan for its evolving role in human services emergencies.
Looking Ahead to 2023
As we enter 2023 we will continue responding and adapting to the challenges of our time, reaping the insights and evidence our projects build to inform improvements to programs and policies. Rooted in our evaluation policy and its five principles of rigor, relevance, transparency, independence, and ethics, we will continue to grow the evidence base in the year ahead.
We look forward to continuing to partner with you on this important work. Until then, best wishes for a safe, healthy, and happy 2023!
- Lauren Supplee, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research, and Evaluation
Lauren Supplee is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research, and Evaluation at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).