Foundations - What Works Centre for Children and Families

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families, launched in June 2023 from the merger of the Early Intervention Foundation and What Works for Children’s Social Care, is the UK’s national centre dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families through evidence-driven change. Responding to the Graham Allen review, it champions high-quality, actionable evidence for policy and practice, guided by five principles: prioritising prevention and early intervention, rigorous transparent evidence standards, empowering children and families, commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and equity, and wide collaboration. Its distinctive approach emphasises evidence synthesis, generation, and evaluation over direct service delivery, aligning closely with national children’s social care frameworks to embed proven interventions.

It funds research, evidence reviews, and robust evaluations—particularly quasi-experimental studies—of promising programmes in five thematic priorities: supporting parenting, strengthening family networks, tackling domestic abuse, improving relationships for care-experienced children, and developing service/practice models. Beneficiaries are children and young people aged 0-18 facing adversity, including those at risk of harm, needing targeted family support, or in/out of care. Past partnerships include Action for Children on pandemic impacts, Anna Freud Centre for mental health, and PEDAL at Cambridge on early years.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and academic institutions with medium-to-large scale and strong track records in research, early intervention, or social care; no strict income thresholds but preference for capable organisations. Funding focuses England-wide with national policy relevance. Typical grants range £50,000–£250,000 via commissioned calls, strategic partnerships, or invitations—no unsolicited applications accepted. Deadlines are ad hoc; monitor the website for briefs.

Exclusions include capital, core/unrestricted, emergency, or capacity-building grants, and work exclusively outside England. Foundations stands out for its defensibility, policy responsiveness, and role in scaling evidence-led, relational, preventative models through independent evaluation and collaboration.