Research

Dr. Washington leads both Agape Therapeutic Services and the African American Families and Kinship Care Lab, working alongside dedicated teams of clinicians, researchers, and staff. Together, their work focuses primarily on kinship care families, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and godparents raising children who are not biological theirs. This work also extends to children and families impacted by the child welfare system more broadly. Across both teams, their research examines how family and other factors can promote positive academic, social, and behavioral outcomes among children in kinship care. Recognizing the significant sacrifices made by kinship caregivers, the teams also explore ways to support their health and overall well-being, including strategies to reduce stress and prevent cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to these areas, Dr. Washington and her teams examine father engagement and the experiences of children and families within the broader population.

Selected Research & Evaluation Projects

  • Evaluation to Improve and Expand Services for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (planning & eval) William Penn Foundation ($531,440), 2022-25 | Principal Investigator

  • Bridge Meadows Intergenerational Evaluation Project
    Bridge Meadows ($186,000), 2022-25 | Principal Investigator

  • National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship Families U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ACL ($9.95M), 2021-26 | Subject Matter Expert/Consultant

  • Family Impact on the Development of African American Children in Kinship Care NICHD ($445,334), 2019-24 | Principal Investigator

  • Reducing Alzheimer’s Risk among African American Kinship Caregivers NICHD ($273,492), 2020-24 | Principal Investigator

  • Engaging Fathers and Paternal Relatives in Child Welfare
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ACF/OPRE ($5.5M) 2017-2022 | Subject Matter Expert/Consultant

Subject Matter Expert on Capitol Hill

  • Panelist. Family Focused Treatment Association 19th Annual Public Policy and Advocacy Institute. Family Focused Treatment Association. Washington, DC. 

  • Panelist. 118th New Congress Forum on Child Welfare. Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. Washington, DC. 

Research & Academic Appointments

  • Research Associate, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry (2025–present)

  • Faculty, Cambridge Health Alliance (2025–present)

  • Distinguished Senior Scholar in Child Welfare, Child Trends (2021–2025)

  • Child Welfare Program Area Director, Child Trends (2021–2024)

  • Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Social Work (2022–2023)

  • Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Social Work (2017–2022)

Selected Awards & Recognitions:

“Dr. Washington is a true champion for families in our community. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with her, particularly in the area of kinship care. Dr. Washington’s insight and research on kinship caregivers have been invaluable as I have expanded my own work in this space.”

Erica Burgess, BSW
Burgess Consultative Group

Blogs

  • Kinship Care Supports the Academic Performance of Children | Child Trends

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  • Prioritizing Black Kinship Caregivers’ Health Means Reducing Their Stress | Child Trends

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  • Positive Self-Care Practices Can Reduce Black Kinship Caregivers’ Stress | Child Trends

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