Resources in this section will help managers and administrators in evaluating their programs and include examples of evaluations of national adoption-related programs.
Adoption: By the Numbers, A Comprehensive Report of U.S. Adoption Statistics
Jones & Placek (2017)
National Council for Adoption
Provides a comprehensive summary of adoption statistics and analysis of adoption policy and practice in the United States. The report is used by adoption policymakers, adoption agencies, child welfare professionals, attorneys, health professionals, researchers, adopted people, biological families, and others interested in analyzing the state of adoption in the United States.
Building an Adoption Competent Workforce: A Review of the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (PDF - 1,823 KB)
Wilson, Riley, & Lee (2019)
Rudd Adoption Research Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Explores an evaluation of trainings presented by the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) to build the capacity of child welfare and mental health professionals in nine sites: California, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington, and the Cherokee Nation.
Child Welfare Research and Evaluation Workgroup Products
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2019)
Presents products designed to strengthen the link between research and practice in child welfare and respond to program evaluation needs. These products are intended to be practical tools and are relevant for multiple audiences and topics.
Evaluating Programs
University of Wisconsin-Madison (2019)
Provides information for program managers and administrators on a wide range of evaluation topics, from evaluation planning to methods, analysis, and use.
Evaluation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2018)
Shares tools and resources for program administrators and managers to help them design and implement evaluations of their projects.
Formative Evaluation Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide and Resources for Evaluating Program Implementation and Early Outcomes (PDF - 2,253 KB)
James Bell Associates (2018)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau
Offers a guide on formative evaluation, a method for evaluating programs during early implementation. The toolkit is designed for child welfare agencies and professionals to use in partnership with program evaluators.
National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (PDF - 129 KB)
Spaulding for Children, ChildTrauma Academy, Center for Adoption Support and Education, North American Council on Adoptable Children, National Council for Adoption, & University of Washington (2018)
Outlines a project that is working to develop and then evaluate a training program to prepare foster and adoptive parents to effectively parent children who have been exposed to trauma. The program will provide these families with the ongoing skills they need to understand and promote healthy child development and have successful family outcomes.
Realizing the Potential of Research in Child Welfare (PDF - 223 KB)
DuMont (2015)
William T. Grant Foundation
Discusses the importance of research evidence and its potential to contribute to child welfare policy and practice. The essay aims to stimulate interest in understanding the use of research evidence in child welfare and to offer promising strategies for how to incorporate research more effectively.
Research and Evaluation Projects
National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice (2019)
Compiles research and evaluation projects in the areas of child welfare, early childhood and family support, health, the human services workforce, and more. The page provides summaries of the evaluations and links to additional information.
Strengthening Families Evaluation Portal
Offers tools to help programs assess their existing practice in the Strengthening Families program areas and identify changes they can make to enhance their ability to build protective factors.