The clearinghouse for military family readiness promotes the ability of military families to adapt effectively to the unique challenges that military life can present

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded The Pennsylvania State University $2,886,984.45 on September 30, 2025, under the Cooperative Extension Service program (CFDA 10.500) to continue Phase IV work for the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness.

The Clearinghouse maintains a repository and builds capacity among professionals serving military families by translating evidence-based programs into program development and practices. The award funds applied research and evaluation efforts designed to advance evidence-informed decisions regarding programmatic development and implementation that improve the well-being, readiness, and resiliency of military-connected family members. The Clearinghouse facilitates collaboration to foster the use of evidence-based programs and practices, improve awareness of and access to these approaches, decrease barriers to their use, increase evaluation as part of program implementation, and reduce the lag time between the creation of scientific knowledge in prevention and intervention sciences and their translation to the field.

Work is performed in State College, Pennsylvania 16802, with a period of performance through August 31, 2026. The assistance type is a Project Grant. The Cooperative Extension Service program is no longer making new awards, though funded projects may actively report expenditures.

Indeed, as noted in this RFA, the clearinghouse is an integral piece of the DOD/USDA partnership for military families with an emphasis on translating evidence-based programs into program development and practices for military families. The goal of this project represents the evolution of supporting military families through the continuation of phase IV work for the clearinghouse. The diverse clearinghouse work teams are well situated to continue the ongoing work and support military families by building the capacity of professionals who serve those families. The clearinghouse's main objective is to ensure that, through the use of robust applied research and evaluation efforts, evidence-informed decisions regarding programmatic development and implementation are advancing the service members' warfighter readiness and lethality by improving the well-being, readiness, and resiliency of military-connected family members. A central aim of this work is the establishment of high-quality implementation policies, programs, services, and resources that are designed to strengthen families – military and civilian. The clearinghouse actively facilitates and collaborates to foster the use of evidence-based programs and practices, improve awareness of and access to these approaches, decrease real and perceived barriers to their use, increase the use of evaluation as part of program implementation, and reduce the lag time between the creation of scientific knowledge in prevention/intervention and evaluation sciences and their translation to the field. Thus, the clearinghouse promotes the ability of military families to adapt effectively to the unique challenges that military life can present. The specific efforts that the clearinghouse will engage in to accomplish the ultimate objective are: (1) maintain a repository of programs and implementation support; (2) provide proactive technical assistance to those serving military families; (3) continued development and rollout of the thrive parenting program; (4) support family advocacy program; and (5) advace child and youth advocacy efforts.