2023 - 2028
Project Overview
The TANF Policy Research and Analyses (TPRA) Project will
- identify key study topics that will inform TANF-related policy, practice, or research;
- propose an approach for carrying out specific studies on priority topics; and
- develop and widely share products in useful formats to support evidence-based decision making and inform potential future directions of research.
The project team, comprised of the Urban Institute, The Adjacent Possible, and MEF Associates, will work closely with OPRE to synthesize and build evidence on TANF and create products that are relevant, actionable, and transformative in policymaking and the broader field. This project’s launch coincides with the release of the Welfare and Family Self-Sufficiency Learning Agenda, jointly developed by OPRE and the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) to guide the development and execution of activities that will inform how TANF and related programs best support family economic well-being. The project will also contribute to OPRE’s commitment to advancing equity, including building evidence on how programs like TANF affect historically marginalized populations.
TPRA will add to the knowledge base produced under the earlier Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Research Synthesis Project. This project will address new research and learning questions identified in the learning agenda and through active engagement with federal staff, state and local policymakers, community-based organizations, contracted TANF service providers, and researchers.
Points of Contact: Erin Cannon, Sarita Barton, and KaLeigh White