This paper presents the process of conducting a community-wide needs assessment that initially focused on soliciting information about childcare needs of families with school-aged children. The researchers were interested in understanding whether the method designed to conduct the needs assessment helped to foster collaboration, trust, and…

An integrated data system (IDS) that links information from separate administrative data systems offers policymakers, program administrators and researchers a powerful tool to analyze interactive effects across systems and make more informed decisions to improve outcomes for vulnerable families. This case study discusses how two states (Washington…

This implementation research report describes the local programs, home visiting staff, and families who participated in the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE), a national evaluation of the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program launched in 2011. This national evaluation is…

Children from low-income families are more likely than those from higher income families to have poor social, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and health outcomes. One approach that has helped parents and their young children is home visiting, which provides information, resources, and support to expectant parents and families with young…

School-based family support programmes (FSPs) work within schools to build partnerships with families, promote family engagement, address family needs, provide mentorship to students and increase access to community resources. Very few programme evaluation studies of FSPs have been conducted. We report on findings from a participatory evaluation…

This report presents early implementation and operational lessons from the Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) evaluation. Funded by the Administration for Children and Families, SHM uses a rigorous research design to test the effectiveness of a new approach to improving outcomes for low-income children: strengthening the marriages and relationships…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

The Family Independence Project (FIP) Interim Review Project in Washington was mounted in order to give preliminary information on the progress of the FIP program compared to Assistance for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) site activity, for management planning, and to document short-term outcomes and trends for policy considerations. A…

This investigation examined the prevalence of collaborative community endeavors in California and Washington that addressed the well-being of children and families, and the nature, quality, and usefulness of the training and technical assistance (T/TA) to members of collaborative community endeavors. Collaborative community endeavors were…

The state of Washington implemented the Readiness to Learn program as part of the state's Family Policy Initiative. The primary goal of the program is to serve as a formal link between education and human services by authorizing grants to local school-linked, community-based consortia to develop and implement strategies that ensure children arrive…

This final report describes a program that developed and prepared a cadre of more than 120 Education Service District staff to become trainers, technical assistance providers, and expert resources in the provision of services to young children (ages 0-8) who are medically fragile or dependent on medical technology for their well being, and their…

The state of Washington implemented the Readiness to Learn program as part of the state's Family Policy Initiative. The primary goal of the program is to serve as a formal link between education and human services by authorizing grants to local school-linked, community-based consortia to develop and implement strategies that ensure children arrive…

This report outlines the Quillayute Valley Child and Family Consortium's End of Year Readiness to Learn program activities, including outcomes through May 1995. The program was established in part by the Washington State Readiness to Learn Initiative, designed to help children benefit from schooling by enabling schools and social services…