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 12th Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference on May 27-29, 2009 in Washington, DC.

GOALS OF THE CONFERENCE

This year’s conference featured a rich set of presentations that drew together what we knew from past research as well as the most current research on welfare, employment, and family self-sufficiency programs and policies. Speakers highlighted the implications of findings for families during the current economic downturn, as well as for implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The conference was organized around five major themes:

• Opportunity, Stability, and Progression in Employment;
• Employment, Services, and Treatment for Individuals with Barriers to Work;
• Anti-Poverty Policy and Strategies for Improved Wellbeing;
• Research and Policy Tools for State and Local Policymakers; and,
• Promoting Wellbeing among Children, Youth, and Families.

As in the past, a mix of researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers participated in the conference, and stimulated productive dialogue across these diverse perspectives.

Due to the success of the conference and the high quality of speakers that presented, the conference was highlighted several times in a recent New York Times article, which can be found here.

Video footage of conference sessions can be found by clicking on the 2009 Agenda/Session Footage link on the navigation bar. The full conference program can be downloaded here. To request an electronic version of any of the PowerPoint presentations from the conference, please send an e-mail to wrec2009@esi-dc.com.