Leah Pranschke

Leah Pranschke specializes in mixed-methods research on policies and programs supporting children and families. Pranschke’s work also focuses on innovative uses of data to help federal and state agency staff improve their programs.

Pranschke has worked on a range of projects in child welfare, family support, labor and employment, and criminal justice. For the Youth at Risk of Homelessness project, Pranschke led interview data collection and interview and service data analysis with fifteen sites in Colorado providing services to youth aging out of foster care. On the State Child Welfare Descriptive Study, Pranschke led interviews about administrative data linking and integration processes with representatives from state child welfare agencies, and led interview finding dissemination in briefs and technical reports. On the Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies project, Pranschke provided evaluation technical assistance to two large mental health centers participating in the first randomized controlled trial of Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) for adults with justice involvement. She also led recruitment for participant interviews, conducted and analyzed staff interviews, and supported survey and management information system analysis.

Pranschke holds a master’s degree in social policy from the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, she worked at the Center for Guaranteed Income Research conducting and analyzing interviews with participants across the country who received a small monthly guaranteed income payment about how guaranteed income affected their financial security, housing stability, employment, mental and physical health, and family relationships.