NAACFRC presents its monthly Webinar Series to advance interdisciplinary community-engaged research, support programs and policies to better serve African American children and families, build research capacity and infrastructure to conduct research relevant to enhance ACF program and policy goals, and communicate research findings to a broad audience of community leaders, practitioners, researchers, state and federal policymakers.

Join us for the first webinar on February 29 at 4pm EST.

The 2024 Emerging Scholar Application Is Now Open!

The Emerging Scholars Program is a one-year-long, remote, mentored research internship designed to increase knowledge and skills of students interested in community-based participatory research on economic and social mobility, poverty alleviation, and early care and education for African American children and families.

This year's application is open to currently enrolled graduate students majoring in social work, public administration, public health, education, or related fields. The deadline for all applications is April 1, 2024.

Upcoming Presentation

The 17th Health Disparities Conference, titled Social Determinants of Health: Reaching Equity – Let's Talk Solutions, will address community engagement, policy, practice, education workforce. Conference participants include students, clinicians, health policy makers, health educators, researchers, and public and community health leaders whose work incorporates interdisciplinary providers engaged in addressing health disparities and increasing health and social justice.

NAACFRC Director, Dr. Latrice Rollins, will be participating in two sessions during the conference.

Partner News

NABSW 56th Annual National Conference

March 26 - 30, 2024 | New Orleans, LA

The National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) is a voluntary cultural and membership organization founded in May 1968 by a group of social workers and human service professionals to address the social welfare needs of Black people across the country. The NABSW conference is open to NABSW members and potential members only. Be sure to stop by the NAACFRC informational table at the conference.

April 15 -18, 2024 | Portland, Oregon

As the largest national conference devoted to all things Head Start, the annual National Head Start Conference brings the Head Start community together for a week of sharing knowledge, networking with peers, and celebrating achievements.

ACF's National Research Conference on Early Childhood 2024 (NRCEC 2024) will be held June 24-26, 2024, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott  in Arlington, VA. This 3-day event will present the latest research surrounding Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, home visiting, child welfare, special education, pre-kindergarten, early elementary, and other early childhood programs. The conference includes plenary sessions, symposia, poster symposia, poster sessions, and informal events. The conference is being planned as an in-person event with select sessions shared virtually.

A new brief from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families by Christina Stephens, Danielle Crosby, and Julie Mendez uses data from the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) to describe, on a national level, several aspects of ECE provider availability and flexibility among low and high Hispanic-serving child care providers that may influence how accessible providers are to Latino households, including those with low incomes. The brief’s findings suggest potential areas of unmet child care needs for Hispanic families, including enrollment denials due to limited space and lack of flexible care schedules. The brief’s authors offer recommendations for policy improvements to address Hispanic families’ needs.

This project is supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award (Grant #: 90PH0031-01-00) totaling $1.8 million with 100 percent funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF/HHS, or the U.S.Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements