Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC)

Logo for the Tribal Early Childhood Research CenterThe mission of the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC) is to grow the field of early childhood research in partnership with American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Head Start, Home Visiting, Child Care, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) program leaders, AIAN community partners, early childhood and family economic well-being researchers, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) federal staff, and a broad network of ACF-supported and other early childhood initiatives and national centers serving AIAN communities.

What we do

1. National Leadership

We work with AIAN communities and early childhood stakeholders to continually inform and refine our activities to grow the field of early childhood research through:

  • Partnership and consultation with our Steering Committee; federal partners; federally funded and other early childhood initiatives and national centers; and, professional associations for tribal Home Visiting, Head Start, Child Care, and TANF. 
  • Training, professional development, and networking opportunities to promote multi-directional, non-hierarchical learning that centers Indigenous ways of knowing and being and honors the wisdom of diverse perspectives.

2. Scientifically and Culturally Rigorous Research 

We conduct research in consultation and collaboration with a broad network of partners who gather as Communities of Learning to grow our understanding of AIAN child development and to advance early childhood research, policy, and practice. The goals of our research are to:

  • Characterize the needs and supports that foster child development, family well-being, and workforce professional development and well-being.
  • Respond to the need for culturally and contextually meaningful measures and supports grounded in Indigenous beliefs and ways of knowing.  

3. Strategic Dissemination 

We leverage multiple communication channels to share resources and research relevant to AIAN children, families, programs, and communities. We facilitate:

  • Research-to-practice knowledge transfer through clear communication of research findings to practitioners in tribal early childhood programs so findings can be applied in their work with children and families.
  • Practice-to-research knowledge transfer by engaging program partners to create resources, provide cultural and contextual framing for research findings, and identify priorities for new research.

The figure below uses the water cycle to highlight how these three areas are essential, inter-related components for fulfilling the TRC’s mission to grow the field of early childhood research in partnership with a broad network of tribal early childhood stakeholders.

Figure showing a water cycle as a depiction of how the TRC program works

Funding

The Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC) is supported by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under cooperative agreements 90PH0030 (2020-2025) and 90PH0027 (2016-2022). The information, content, and products of the TRC are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by, OPRE, ACF, HHS, or the U.S. Government.