Child-Maltreatment-Research-L (CMRL) List Serve

Message ID: 8090

Date: 2009-03-19

Author:Radel, Laura (HHS/ASPE)

Subject:RE: child welfare research

Trudy is correct that many years ago there used to be a line item in the

ACF budget for child welfare research. After several years of zero

funding, the item was dropped from the budget requests. I don't recall

exactly when the appropriation stopped, but believe it was in the early

1990s. The legislative authority still exists within section 426 of the

Social Security Act.



Most child welfare research in the ACF budget these days comes either

from direct appropriations for specific studies (e.g. NSCAW, the 4th

National Incidence Study on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Chafee

Program evaluation, all of which are administered as contracts by the

Office for Planning, Research and Evaluation within ACF), or from two

somewhat broader research authorities: (a) discretionary research and

demonstration authority on child abuse and neglect authorized under

section 104 of CAPTA; and (b) a set aside for research, evaluation and

technical assistance that's part of the Promoting Safe and Stable

Families Program (the set aside of $6 million annually appears in

section 436 of the Social Security Act). Also, provisions within the

now-expired authority for child welfare waiver demonstrations required

evaluations, the costs of which were shared between the federal and

state governments and claimed through the title IV-E program. Several

of those evaluations continue, though there is no longer authority for

new waiver demonstrations.



There are currently no general child welfare research and evaluation

funds appropriated to ACF. The only one of the authorities above that

includes researcher-initiated type grants is the CAPTA authority, and

that's focused on child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment and

doesn't extend to foster care and adoption research.



I hope this information is helpful to folks.



Laura Radel

Senior Social Science Analyst

Division of Children and Youth Policy

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Laura.Radel@hhs.gov







Trudy is correct that many years ago there used to be a line item in the

ACF budget for child welfare research. After several years of zero

funding, the item was dropped from the budget requests. I don't recall

exactly when the appropriation stopped, but believe it was in the early

1990s. The legislative authority still exists within section 426 of the

Social Security Act.



Most child welfare research in the ACF budget these days comes either

from direct appropriations for specific studies (e.g. NSCAW, the 4th

National Incidence Study on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Chafee

Program evaluation, all of which are administered as contracts by the

Office for Planning, Research and Evaluation within ACF), or from two

somewhat broader research authorities: (a) discretionary research and

demonstration authority on child abuse and neglect authorized under

section 104 of CAPTA; and (b) a set aside for research, evaluation and

technical assistance that's part of the Promoting Safe and Stable

Families Program (the set aside of $6 million annually appears in

section 436 of the Social Security Act). Also, provisions within the

now-expired authority for child welfare waiver demonstrations required

evaluations, the costs of which were shared between the federal and

state governments and claimed through the title IV-E program. Several

of those evaluations continue, though there is no longer authority for

new waiver demonstrations.



There are currently no general child welfare research and evaluation

funds appropriated to ACF. The only one of the authorities above that

includes researcher-initiated type grants is the CAPTA authority, and

that's focused on child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment and

doesn't extend to foster care and adoption research.



I hope this information is helpful to folks.



Laura Radel

Senior Social Science Analyst

Division of Children and Youth Policy

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Laura.Radelhhs.gov