Foster and Adoptive Policy Research Consortium
Advancing Evidence-Based Solutions for Better Child Welfare Outcomes
About FAPRC
Research. Partnership. Policy.
The Foster and Adoptive Policy Research Consortium (FAPRC) is an applied social science and policy research organization dedicated to examining the complex challenges affecting children and families involved in foster care, adoption, education, and child welfare systems.
Under the leadership of Dr. Gregory E. Holloway, FAPRC was established from a commitment to better understand the systemic barriers that continue to shape educational and social outcomes for children and families.
We bring together research, education, policy, and practice with a shared goal: translating evidence into meaningful improvements in the systems that serve children, youth, and families.
Connecting Research to Real-World Change
FAPRC focuses on two complementary areas of action.
First, we work to establish and strengthen formal relationships among school districts, child welfare institutions, research organizations, and community stakeholders. These collaborative networks create opportunities for researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers to share knowledge, identify emerging challenges, and develop practical responses to issues affecting children in foster and adoptive care.
Second, we are committed to making research accessible and useful. Through research briefs, policy analysis, scholarly publications, and evidence-based recommendations, FAPRC helps translate complex findings into information that policymakers and practitioners can understand and apply.
Our work is ultimately guided by a straightforward but consequential question: What happens to the young people who remain underserved by the systems intended to support them?
We believe meaningful policy change begins with rigorous inquiry, honest examination of existing systems, and a willingness to bring research and practice into the same conversation.
Our purpose is not simply to document disparities. It is to contribute to informed, practical, and sustainable approaches that improve outcomes for children and families.
Leadership & Background
FAPRC is led by Dr. Gregory E. Holloway, an educator, researcher, and advocate whose professional and personal experiences have shaped his commitment to systemic change.
Dr. Holloway began his career as an educator with a focus on teaching and student development. Through direct professional and personal experiences, he came to recognize the profound educational inequities experienced by children involved in foster care and adoption.
As an adoptive parent, Dr. Holloway and his wife have experienced firsthand both the rewards and complexities of raising a diverse family. They are the parents of four children, including a sibling group of three African-American brothers and a biracial daughter.
These experiences deepened Dr. Holloway’s understanding of the challenges facing children and families as they navigate education and child welfare systems.
His work is driven in part by a persistent concern about the educational outcomes of foster youth, particularly young people who leave the system without completing high school. FAPRC was established in response to this concern and to the broader need for research that examines why these outcomes persist and what can be done to improve them.
Dr. Holloway and FAPRC approach research with a clear belief: Research should do more than describe a problem. It should help communities understand it, help practitioners identify effective responses, and help policymakers make decisions grounded in credible evidence.
Our Research and Services
Turning Evidence Into Understanding and Action
FAPRC brings together applied social science research, policy analysis, institutional collaboration, and research dissemination to help organizations better understand complex challenges affecting children, youth, families, and communities.
Applied Social Science Research
We conduct and support applied research examining issues related to foster care, adoption, education, child welfare, and public policy.
Our research is designed not only to understand systemic challenges, but also to identify practical insights that can inform future action.
Policy Research & Analysis
We examine policy questions and emerging issues affecting children and families, helping organizations and decision-makers better understand the implications of existing systems, proposed changes, and persistent challenges.
Research Briefs & Evidence-Based Recommendations
We translate research findings into accessible research briefs, policy summaries, and evidence-based recommendations designed for policymakers, practitioners, educators, researchers, and community stakeholders.
Collaborative Research Partnerships
Complex social challenges rarely fit within the boundaries of a single institution.
FAPRC helps facilitate collaborative relationships among school districts, child welfare agencies, research institutions, educators, practitioners, and community organizations to encourage knowledge sharing and coordinated research.
Research Dissemination & Translation
Research has greater impact when people can understand and use it.
We help bridge the gap between scholarship and practice by translating research findings into information that can support informed decision-making and meaningful policy conversations.
Education & Child Welfare Research Networks
FAPRC develops and strengthens collaborative networks connecting education and child welfare research. These relationships provide opportunities to identify emerging challenges, exchange knowledge, and develop research-informed responses.
Evidence-Informed Decision Support
We support organizations and stakeholders seeking to make decisions grounded in credible evidence. Our work helps connect research findings with the practical realities facing children, youth, families, schools, and communities.
Policy & Practice Collaboration
FAPRC creates opportunities for researchers, policymakers, educators, and practitioners to engage in meaningful dialogue around complex social issues.
The goal is to move beyond isolated conversations and toward sustained collaboration that can produce practical and lasting improvements.
Start a Research Conversation
Meaningful change begins with asking better questions.
Whether you are a researcher, educator, child welfare professional, policymaker, school district, community organization, or institutional partner, FAPRC welcomes opportunities to explore research, collaboration, and evidence-informed approaches to the challenges affecting children and families.
If your organization is interested in research partnerships, policy analysis, collaborative networks, research dissemination, or evidence-informed decision-making, we invite you to connect with us.