Actively Funded Centers
Center for Indigenous Research Collaborations and Learning for Home Visiting (CIRCLE-HV)
The Center for Indigenous Research Collaborations and Learning for Home Visiting (CIRCLE-HV) supports two types of research-practice collaborations to build evidence and understanding about home visiting and well-being in Indigenous communities. CIRCLE-HV’s actively engaged approach follows the principles of A Roadmap for Collaborative and Effective Evaluation in Tribal Communities.
Tribal Research Center on Early Childhood Development and Systems
The Tribal Research Center for Early Childhood Development and Systems (TRC) provides leadership and collaboration to promote excellence in community-based participatory research and evaluation of ACF early childhood and family economic well-being initiatives that serve tribal communities. Settings include tribal home visiting programs, early care and education center-based programs, home-based and family child care providers, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs.
Center to Support Research and Evaluation Capacity of Child Care and Development Fund Lead Agencies
The Center to Support Research and Evaluation Capacity of Child Care and Development Fund Lead Agencies, supported by a five-year OPRE grant, builds research and evaluation capacity in the child care subsidy policy field by facilitating information sharing, learning, and collaboration across ACF-sponsored research partnerships funded by OPRE.
Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center
The Child Care Research and Evaluation Capacity Building Center (Center) assesses and builds the research and evaluation capacities of State, Territory, and Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies. The Center will engage with stakeholders in planning activities and developing strategies. The Center also focuses on supporting individual and organizational research and evaluation capacity to create sustained change that lasts beyond the turnover of individual staff and the changing policies and priorities of federal and state policymakers.
Center for Research on Hispanic Children & Families
The National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families leads and supports investigation of the needs of Hispanic populations served by ACF and of promising approaches to promote social and economic well-being among low-income Hispanic families. The Center’s research focuses on early care and education; poverty reduction and economic self-sufficiency; and fatherhood, family structure, and family dynamics. In addition to generating new research to inform ACF programs and policies to better serve Hispanic children and families, the Center aims to build research capacity by providing tools, resources, and support for the research community and emerging scholars
National African American Child and Family Research Center
The National African American Child and Family Research Center provides national leadership and excellence by investigating the assets, needs, and experiences of the diverse population of African American families and children served (or potentially served) by ACF programs, as well as exploring promising approaches to address economic and social inequities and, ultimately, promote social and economic well-being. The primary focus of this Center is on child care assistance, TANF, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs and the populations those programs serve.
Past Centers
Center for Early Care and Education Research: Dual Language Learners
The Center for Early Care and Education Research: Dual Language Learners (CECER-DLL) was a cooperative agreement to advance the research field to improve assessment, child care, and education for dual language learners (DLLs) from birth through five years of age.
Center for Supporting Research on Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Implementation
The Center for Supporting Research on Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Implementation supported ACF in learning from The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Implementation Research and Evaluation Grants program. Through this grant program, CCDF lead agencies developed research plans to evaluate the implementation of key policies and initiatives.
Marriage Strengthening Research and Dissemination Center (MAST)
The Marriage Strengthening Research and Dissemination Center (MAST Center) supported research and evaluation to help inform marriage and relationship education programming through research on romantic relationships in the U.S. and on the design, implementation, and effectiveness of the programs designed to support relationships and more.