The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, held the 11th Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference May 28-30, 2008 at the Hilton Washington in the heart Washington, DC.

GOALS OF THE CONFERENCE

For more than a decade this conference has been a leading forum for welfare researchers and analysts, State and local administrators, and Federal officials and policymakers to discuss the latest findings in evaluations of welfare programs and policies, ways to incorporate findings into the design and implementation of programs and policies, and strategies for future evaluations. The 2008 conference provided a forum for discussing expert and cutting-edge research on welfare programs and policies.

The conference focused on the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program while examining its links to a broad range of related programs and policies. Specific topics that were addressed during two and a half days of plenary and breakout sessions included maximizing self-sufficiency through work and work supports; increasing employment retention and advancement; promoting child well-being; supporting healthy marriages and strong families; strengthening child support; delivering social services through faith-based and community organizations; building assets; the links between TANF and programs such as Unemployment Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, Food Stamps, and housing assistance; improving program integration, performance, and evaluation; and strengthening State-University partnerships.

Conference presentations featured basic and applied research and addressed both researchers and practitioners. The conference emphasized recent findings in empirical research, particularly research based on experimental designs.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

If you are interested in obtaining a presentation from the 2008 conference, send an e-mail to WREC2008@esi-dc.com indicating the title of the presentation.