The Family Research Unit (FRU) provides research, technical expertise and human capacity to Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services Child Protective Services (CPS), Foster Care and Adoptions (FC&A), and the Fairfax/Falls Church Children's Services Act (CSA) Programs. The FRU team, with a 23+ year history, is comprised of research faculty and staff, with vast expertise in revenue maximization for children and youth being served by the above-mentioned programs.

Using a federated data approach to multi-agency data integration, the central aim of Project Child HANDS (Child Care Subsidy, Health and Early Education: Helping Analyze Needed Data Securely) is to build an integrated, web-based data system for Virginia childhood initiatives aimed at low-income families, to guide program evaluation and policy decisions at the state and local levels.

VTIPG worked with five Local Departments of Social Services (LDSS) in the New River Valley, collectively known as the Partners for Self-Sufficiency (PSS), to provide tailored wrap around services to address employment barriers and service needs for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) clients.