ANALYSIS > Advocacy > Sign-On Letter: Preserve Federal Research & Evaluation on Children and Families

Sign-On Letter: Preserve Federal Research & Evaluation on Children and Families

The Data Foundation is coordinating a sign-on letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy urging the Department to halt the restructuring of one of the federal government's most effective evaluation offices.

	13 Feb 2026
	United States of America
	Advocacy

The Data Foundation is coordinating a sign-on letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy urging the Department to halt the restructuring of one of the federal government's most effective evaluation offices. Add your organization or name by February 20.

Sign the letter here. | Signatures accepted until 9:00 AM ET, Friday, February 20, 2026.

What Happened

On February 13, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notified staff at the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of a decision to drastically restructure and effectively dismantle the office. As detailed in the February 13, 2026 joint statement from the Data Foundation and Results for America, this decision threatens to destroy one of the federal government's most effective and respected evaluation units — an office that has served administrations of both parties for decades by producing rigorous, independent evidence on programs that serve millions of America's children and families.

OPRE's research portfolio spans some of the most consequential programs in the federal government, including Head Start, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child welfare services, and child care. Under the restructuring, only mandated research is expected to continue, and even that work will now require direct approval from political appointees — compromising the scientific independence that gives evaluation findings their credibility and utility. Congressional appropriations for FY 2026 largely supported OPRE's functions as written, raising serious questions about whether this restructuring is consistent with congressional intent.

What the Letter Asks

The sign-on letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urges the Department to:

Immediately halt the restructuring and preserve OPRE's existing research and evaluation functions during a meaningful review period.
Engage in transparent consultation with Congress, the research community, and other stakeholders.
Ensure ongoing research and evaluation projects reach completion so the American public receives the findings their tax dollars have funded.
Uphold the evidence-building principles established by the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, signed into law by President Trump in 2019.

The letter will also be shared with senior Administration officials and relevant congressional committees.

Who Should Sign

We invite organizations, research institutions, companies, and individuals who have relied on, contributed to, and benefited from OPRE's work to add their names.