Action Research Partners
Action Research Partners is a Brooklyn-based research and evaluation firm founded in 2010 that conducts policy analysis, program evaluation, and federal court monitoring for U.S. state and local child welfare agencies, courts, and major child welfare foundations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBrooklyn Park, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Action Research Partners does
Action Research Partners is a Brooklyn-based research, program evaluation, and policy analysis firm founded in 2010 by Tim Ross that specializes in improving outcomes in the U.S. child welfare and human services systems. The firm serves state and local government agencies (notably NYC Administration for Children's Services, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, New Jersey DCF, and the Supreme Court of Ohio), federal court-appointed monitors overseeing class-action litigation in five states (Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas), and major child welfare philanthropies including Casey Family Programs, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Its core offerings are organized around three service lines: Strategic Consulting with child welfare systems, Supporting Monitors of federal child welfare litigation settlements, and Evaluating Innovations in child welfare programs, supplemented by ongoing Child Welfare Monitoring Reports for state-level reform tracking.
The firm's underlying capability is built on specialized expertise with federal child welfare administrative data systems (SACWIS, NCANDS, AFCARS), mixed-methods evaluation design combining quantitative administrative analysis with qualitative stakeholder engagement, and proprietary frameworks for court monitoring compliance assessment, foster caregiver recruitment and retention metrics, and interdisciplinary parent representation evaluation. Outputs include peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Children and Youth Services Review, public research reports, and policy briefs, with demonstrated impact including a 76 percent increase in certified and placed foster homes at six NYC pilot sites and a 118-day reduction in average foster care stays for children whose parents received interdisciplinary representation.
The business model is professional services consulting, with project-based pricing negotiated directly with government agencies and foundation clients under multi-year contracts. Action Research is a fully remote organization with 11-50 employees, operating without external venture or private equity capital and funded entirely through government contracts and foundation grants. Distribution is direct sales through RFP responses, sole-source contracts, court-appointed monitoring arrangements, and foundation-funded evaluations, with thought leadership publications serving as a top-of-funnel credibility mechanism.
Action Research Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Action Research Partners
- Legal name
- Action Research Partners
- Website
- https://actionresearch.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Action Research Partners is a Brooklyn-based research and evaluation firm founded in 2010 that conducts policy analysis, program evaluation, and federal court monitoring for U.S. state and local child welfare agencies, courts, and major child welfare foundations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Action Research Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Child Welfare Research and Evaluation
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)
Keywords
Where Action Research Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Action Research Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Contract Research: Action Research derives revenue from contracts with government child welfare agencies at the state and city levels for research, evaluation, and policy analysis services. These include multi-year evaluation contracts and court monitoring engagements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting engagements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Action Research Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Action Research Partners is a research, evaluation, and policy analysis firm founded in 2010 that helps government agencies, nonprofits, and foundations improve outcomes for children, youth, and families in the child welfare system. The firm delivers data analysis of child welfare administrative systems, program evaluations of innovative child welfare interventions, court-appointed monitoring under federal class-action settlements, and strategic consulting with state and city child welfare systems.
Product overview
Action Research Partners is a research, program evaluation, and policy analysis firm offering three core service offerings: Strategic Consulting (collaborative work with child welfare systems to improve services), Supporting Monitors (analyzing data for court-appointed monitors of litigation settlements), and Evaluating Innovations (rigorous evaluation of child welfare programs). The company also produces Child Welfare Monitoring Reports tracking reform progress across multiple states. The portfolio represents consulting and analytical services rather than a software product platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 76 percent increase in certified and placed foster homes within 90 days at six pilot sites in NYC
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Action Research Partners
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Action Research Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Action Research Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Annie E. Casey FoundationcoreMajor philanthropy focused on improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families. Supports Action Research's child welfare reform initiatives through funding and strategic guidance.
- Casey Family ProgramscoreOne of the largest funders and thought leaders in child welfare. Funded Action Research's study of parental legal representation models in NYC and supports ongoing evaluation work.
- Blue Meridian PartnerscorePhilanthropic organization focused on scalable solutions for poverty. Serves on Evaluation Advisory Committee for Action Research's work.
- Conrad N. Hilton FoundationcoreFunds Action Research's evaluation of EMDR trauma therapy implementation in NYC foster care settings.
- New York University School of LawcoreAcademic partner in evaluating interdisciplinary approaches to parent representation in child welfare. Collaboration includes propensity score matching studies and quasi-experimental research designs.
- American Bar AssociationminorProfessional association promoting interdisciplinary approaches to parent representation in child welfare cases. ABA standards and guidelines influence Action Research's evaluation frameworks.
- Vera Institute of JusticeminorResearch organization focused on criminal justice and child welfare reform. Shares expertise and contributes to policy discussions on child welfare systems improvement.
- Child TrendsminorResearch organization specializing in child welfare research. Collaborated on Youth Transitioning to Adulthood evaluation in NYC.
- New York City Administration for Children's ServicescorePrimary government partner for strategic consulting, program evaluation, and data analysis to improve child welfare outcomes in NYC.
- Public CatalystcoreLeads federal court monitoring teams in multiple states including Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas. Action Research serves as monitoring team member for child welfare litigation settlements.
- Center for the Study of Social PolicycoreLeads monitoring teams in New Mexico and Kansas. Action Research collaborates on federal class action settlement monitoring and compliance assessment.
- National Juvenile Defender CenterminorOrganization dedicated to promoting justice for children and youth. Contributes to policy discussions on child welfare and legal representation.
- Center for Innovation through Data IntelligenceminorNYC government research organization. Collaborated on Youth Transitioning to Adulthood evaluation combining administrative data across systems.
- New Yorkers for ChildrenminorNYC-focused child welfare philanthropy supporting programs and research to improve outcomes for children and families in the child welfare system.
- Redlich Horwitz FoundationminorFoundation focused on child welfare legal reform and improving outcomes for families involved with the child welfare system.
- New York State Office of Children and Family ServicescoreState-level child welfare agency providing oversight and partnership for policy research and system improvement initiatives.
- Broome County Department of Social ServicesminorLocal government partner for child welfare research and evaluation at the county level in New York State.
- Dutchess County Department of Social ServicesminorLocal government partner for child welfare research and evaluation at the county level in New York State.
- CAI GlobalminorGlobal consulting firm providing technical assistance and capacity building for child welfare systems improvement.
- Implex PartnersminorStrategic consulting partner for child welfare system reform and performance improvement initiatives.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Action Research Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- RAND Corporation: Large, established policy research institution with significant child welfare and human services evaluation work. Competes for government evaluation contracts and produces research informing public policy, though at a much broader scale.
- Mathematica Policy Research: Large, established social policy research and evaluation firm with deep public-sector federal and state contracting presence. Competes with Action Research on government child welfare and human services evaluation RFPs, but at much greater scale and broader portfolio.
- Urban Institute: Large nonprofit research organization covering social and economic policy, including child welfare and human services. Competes for federal/state evaluation contracts and produces research that informs policy and program reform in the same domains as Action Research.
- Westat: Employee-owned research firm providing statistical research, evaluation, and survey services to government agencies. Competes for federal and state child welfare and human services evaluation contracts, with greater capacity and broader service lines.
Direct peers
- Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago: Policy research center focused on children, youth, and families. Directly comparable in child welfare research, evaluation, and administrative data analysis, including work for state child welfare agencies and court systems.
- James Bell Associates: Research and evaluation firm specializing in child welfare, juvenile justice, and youth-serving systems. Directly comparable in serving federal, state, and local government clients with evaluation, research, and technical assistance services.
- Child Trends: Nonprofit research organization focused on child welfare, family, and youth outcomes. Direct competitor in child welfare research and evaluation, and Action Research's founder led the child welfare program at Child Trends prior to founding Action Research.
- Vera Institute of Justice: Research and policy organization focused on justice and child welfare reform. Closely comparable due to Action Research's founder having served as Director of Research there for ten years; both organizations work at the intersection of courts, child welfare, and policy reform.
- MDRC: Nonprofit social policy research organization conducting rigorous evaluations of programs for low-income families and children. Comparable in mixed-methods evaluation work, propensity score matching, and government/funder-sponsored program assessments.
Emerging players
- National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD): Research and advocacy organization focused on juvenile and criminal justice, with significant child welfare overlap. Comparable in court monitoring, data analysis, and policy reform work, though with a different primary focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Action Research Partners social profiles
Digital presenceAction Research Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Action Research Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Action Research Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Action Research Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Action Research Partners
What does Action Research Partners do?
Action Research Partners is a research, evaluation, and policy analysis firm founded in 2010 that helps government agencies, nonprofits, and foundations improve outcomes for children, youth, and families in the child welfare system. The firm delivers data analysis of child welfare administrative systems, program evaluations of innovative child welfare interventions, court-appointed monitoring under federal class-action settlements, and strategic consulting with state and city child welfare systems.
Is Action Research Partners a public or private company?
Action Research Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Action Research Partners founded?
Action Research Partners was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Action Research Partners based?
Action Research Partners is headquartered in Brooklyn Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Action Research Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Contract Research.
Who are Action Research Partners's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are RAND Corporation, Mathematica Policy Research, Urban Institute and Westat. Direct peers are Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, James Bell Associates, Child Trends, Vera Institute of Justice and MDRC. National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Action Research Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Action Research Partners.
What industry is Action Research Partners in?
Action Research Partners's product category is Child Welfare Research and Evaluation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADALAK, Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships, with a secondary code of BPAHALAF, Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research. Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8742.