This 5-year cooperative agreement will fund a research center to lead and support investigation of the needs of Hispanic populations served by ACF and promising approaches to promote social and economic well-being among Hispanic children and families with low-incomes. This research center (hereafter referred to as "Center") will bring together a diverse, interdisciplinary team of academic, organizational, and community-based partners to provide leadership in culturally competent research that can inform policies concerning Hispanic families with low-incomes and to foster significant scholarship regarding the needs and experiences of the diverse Hispanic populations throughout the nation.

ster significant scholarship regarding the needs and experiences of the diverse Hispanic populations throughout the nation. Through a combination of research, research capacity building, and communication activities, this Center will address a range of relevant issues including, but not limited to: a) definition and measurement of significant characteristics and experiences of Hispanic individuals, families, and communities; b) identification of barriers and facilitators of service utilization by Hispanic populations; c) examination of strategies to promote the social and economic well-being of Hispanic children and families and to strengthen Hispanic families; d) evaluation of promising approaches to serving Hispanic populations.

The Center will be expected to develop research and data products, resources, and execute a comprehensive communication plan that aims to build research capacity in the field and to improve understanding of Hispanic populations in order to inform policy development and programmatic responses. The Center will focus broadly on child care and early education, services to support self-sufficiency and economic mobility of low-income families, and related issues such as family stability and children's healthy development and learning. The Center will also focus on the use and accessibility of data to inform human services policy and enable data-driven service delivery and program administration.ACF is particularly interested in research examining how Hispanic populations access, experience, and benefit from ACF programs, systematic differences in those experiences, and factors associated with any differences.

Deadline: June 7, 2023