Andrew Gradison

Andrew Gradison is the Acting Assistant Secretary at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As Acting Assistant Secretary, he runs an operating division with an annual budget of over $74 billion for federal welfare programs and human services. Focusing on making American children and families healthy again, Gradison manages senior executives at the agency, giving them direction on President Trump’s priorities and how to do a better job prioritizing efficiency, reducing waste and fraud, focusing on the needs of low-income families, and providing tools for communities to become stronger and self-sufficient.

Gradison has spent his career fighting for healthy families and bolstering child safety and well-being across federal programs. His passion for improving the social safety net comes from ten years of legislative experience on Capitol Hill with a focus on human services policy.

Gradison began his career at the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means and deepened his policy expertise working for U.S. Representative Jason Smith. He returned to Ways and Means to focus exclusively on social safety net programs, including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, child care, the Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting program, child support enforcement, the Social Services Block Grant program and child welfare programs. Before joining ACF, he worked for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions focusing on policies related to child care, Head Start, child welfare and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

He is a graduate of the College of Charleston, receiving his B.S. Magna Cum Laude, Alpha Kapa Delta, and expects to graduate from the Antonin Scalia School of Law in May 2025.