Last week, CCUSA Executive Vice President Brian Corbin wrote to the Senate to urge passage of the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2015. This act, which passed in the House last Monday, would create a 15-member commission to examine our country’s data collection and research policies, ensuring that researchers have access to powerful administrative data in a way that protects client privacy. This has the potential to give us far greater insights into how programs can operate more efficiently and, more importantly, effectively in helping those struggling in America make strides out of poverty.
CCUSA and Catholic Charities agencies around the country have long been committed to identifying evidence-based approaches to reducing poverty by building relationships with researchers, such as our work with the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at the University of Notre Dame.