Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Office of Human Services Policy (HSP)

The Office of Human Services Policy (HSP) strives to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families and break down silos across government. It does so by providing timely, actionable, cross-cutting policy analysis and research, and by leading cross-government coordination to address urgent human services challenges. The office works closely with federal, state, local, and private sector partners on issues including economic mobility and employment, child poverty and well-being, child welfare, family strengthening and fatherhood, early childhood education, youth development, community initiatives, child support, recidivism, and homelessness.

HSP advises the ASPE and other HHS leadership on human services policy matters. It leads and actively participates in interagency initiatives to align federal programming; conducts policy analysis and other research on human services and related issues; shares findings with and provides technical assistance to a diverse range of stakeholders; and coordinates development of HHS’s human services legislative proposals. HSP serves as a liaison with other agencies on broad economic matters and is the Department’s lead on poverty measurement.

The Office of Human Services Policy has three divisions:

  • The Division of Children and Youth Policy focuses on policies related to the well-being of children and youth, including early childhood education and child welfare, and leads the Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council and the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs.
  • The Division of Family and Community Policy covers policies to strengthen low-income families and communities and address barriers to economic mobility. The division leads the Interagency Council on Economic Mobility.
  • The Division of Data and Technical Analysis provides data analytic capacity for policy development through data collection activities, secondary data analysis, modeling, and cost analyses. The Division also issues annual updates to the poverty guidelines and reports to Congress on indicators of welfare dependence.

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services Policy: Jennifer Burnszynski

Reports

Displaying 361 - 370 of 973. 10 per page. Page 37.

Advanced Search

National Symposium On the Health Needs of Human Trafficking Victims: Post-Symposium Brief

This Issue Brief presents an overview of the major topics discussed at the National Symposium on the Health Needs of Human Trafficking Victims sponsored by ASPE and held in Washington, DC, September 22-23, 2008.  The brief focuses on the post-presentation discussions and suggestions of participants.

Vulnerable Youth and the Transition to Adulthood: Youth with Depression/Anxiety

The transition to adulthood can be particularly challenging when a young adult experiences mental health problems. This fact sheet uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to explore the young adult outcomes and adolescent risk behaviors of youth suffering from depression and anxiety as they make this transition. [5 PDF Pages]

Vulnerable Youth and the Transition to Adulthood: Youth from Low-Income Families

Youth from low-income families are vulnerable to poor outcomes as adults, as these youth often lack the resources and opportunities found to lead to better outcomes.

Vulnerable Youth and the Transition to Adulthood: Youth from Distressed Neighborhoods

The transition to adulthood can be particularly challenging for youth growing up in distressed neighbor-hoods. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, this fact sheet compares the adolescent risk behaviors and young adult outcomes of youth from distressed neighborhoods with those of youth from non-distressed neighborhoods. [4 PDF pages]

Vulnerable Youth and the Transition to Adulthood: Young Men and Young Women

This fact sheet considers differences in behaviors and outcomes between young men and young women as they transition to adulthood. It also considers whether differences between young men and young women are related to the fact that some women are caring for children.

Role of Religiosity in the Lives of the Low-Income Population: A Comprehensive Review of the Evidence

This report is a comprehensive literature review and descriptive synthesis of the state of the research on the influence of religiosity and spirituality in the lives of the US low-income population. Findings are presented in six main areas: marriage and relationships, parenting, youth, mental and physical health, substance use, and crime and violence. [129 PDF pages]

Recent Trends in Local Child Protective Services Practices

This study examines changes in policies and procedures in local child protective services (CPS) agencies between 2002 and 2005-2006.

Extending the EITC to Noncustodial Parents: Potential Impacts and Design Considerations

Under current federal income tax rules, low-income noncustodial parents are ineligible for the EITC benefits available to low-income families with children, even when they support their children through full payment of child support.

Interim Report to the Congress on the Feasibility of a National Child Abuse Registry

About 45 states maintain child abuse registries, which are databases that allow child protective services investigators routine access to child abuse history information to inform better current investigations. Most states also use their registries to conduct pre-employment background checks on persons who work with children, such as day care providers.