2023 - 2028
Project Overview
The TANF Policy Research and Analyses (TPRA) Project is synthesizing and building evidence on TANF and creating products that are relevant, actionable, and transformative in policymaking and the broader field. The project team, comprised of the Urban Institute, The Adjacent Possible, and MEF Associates, is working closely with OPRE and the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) to:
- 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.
This project’s launch in 2023 coincided with the release of the Welfare and Family Self-Sufficiency Learning Agenda, jointly developed by OPRE and OFA to guide the development and execution of activities that will inform how TANF and related programs best support family economic well-being. This project will address 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, program participants, and researchers.
TPRA will also 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, which identified research topics and produced briefs to inform TANF policy and practice.
Points of Contact: Erin Cannon, Sarita Barton, Layefa Leonard-Emuren, and Amelia Popham