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Formative Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care: Assessing Readiness for Summative Evaluation |
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| Authors: | Becci A Akin Mark F Testa Thomas P McDonald Heidi Melz Karen A Blase Andrew Barclay |
| Institution: | 1. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA beccia@ku.edu;3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;4. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA;5. James Bell Associates, Inc., Arlington, VA, USA;6. Independent Contractor, Atlanta, GA, USA |
| Abstract: | As part of the federal Permanency Innovations Initiative, this local grantee implemented an evidence-based intervention to improve outcomes for children with serious emotional disturbance. The project approach integrates the tenets of implementation science and program evaluation. Formative evaluation used a small sample (n = 76) to assess implementation integrity and statistical association to recommend whether the intervention was ready for summative evaluation (SE). Results showed that most process expectations were met. Statistical findings suggested that the intervention was associated with higher rates of reunification for treatment families as compared to families receiving services-as-usual. Thus, the intervention was recommended for SE. |
| Keywords: | child welfare evidence-based practices foster care permanency/concurrent planning evaluation |