About
The Poverty Alleviation Research Center (PARC) advances research, education, and community partnerships to strengthen economic security and well-being for all people. Building on the Crown Family School’s deep faculty expertise and strong collaborations with policymakers and community organizations, PARC generates and shares knowledge to improve the policies, institutions, and governance processes that contribute to strong communities and help low-income people secure employment, child care, material well-being, and safety. PARC promotes scholarship that is community-engaged, interdisciplinary, and grounded in the everyday experiences of people most impacted by poverty.
The Poverty Alleviation Research Center (PARC) advances research, education, and community partnerships that strengthen economic security and well-being for all people.
We take a holistic approach to understanding poverty and its alleviation. PARC engages in anti-poverty interventions through an interdisciplinary lens, applying diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to
understand the causes and consequences of economic hardship and effective strategies of intervention. PARC's work addresses key leverage points across the policy continuum – from policy design, administration, and
implementation, to the consequences of policy for individuals, communities, and the larger society
We strive to foster economic security through partnership. PARC conducts its work in collaboration with academic researchers and governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders, including non-profit organizations, philanthropic foundations, employers, and community groups. Building and strengthening these partnerships, PARC strives to generate and share knowledge that reflects the perspectives of people experiencing poverty and of organizations and initiatives working to alleviate poverty
To advance its mission to generate and share policy-relevant knowledge to alleviate poverty, strengthen economic security and promote wellbeing of all people, PARC undertakes research and education projects that address the full arc of policy—from design and implementation to impact. Its work centers on four broad priority areas:
The design, implementation, and effects of safety net income support
programs such as the EITC, SSI, and Child Tax Credit, as well as alternative policies and private efforts that support material well-being in fields such as housing, job readiness, and food security, and that address populations who fall through the gaps in our safety net
The structure, policies, and practices of systems that disproportionately affect economically disadvantaged populations, including child welfare, immigration,
and criminal legal systems. How demographic and status characteristics shape interactions with these systems and promising avenues toward more equitable and effective systems to serve all people.
The changing job conditions and caregiving demands impact family life, especially in low-income communities. Employment policies and work-family policies aim to improve job quality and stability, reduce work-family conflicts, and support parents, caregivers, and children
The political, legal, and social processes that shape policy and its implementation in low-income communities. How institutions and governance processes influence socioeconomic inclusion and well-being, including participatory policymaking, private-sector responses to public policy, and the
role of nonprofit organizations as advocates and implementers of policy change.