The resources on this page provide State and local examples of family support and preservation program evaluations. Family support programs are intended to strengthen families, improve parenting skills, and promote child development. Prevention programs are designed to keep children safe and prevent unnecessary placement by helping families cope with stress and obtain needed services.
Colorado Department of Human Services SafeCare Colorado Pilot Project Evaluation Report (PDF - 2,816 KB)
Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood (2017)
Presents an evaluation of the pilot project for SafeCare Colorado, an evidence-based, in-home parenting evaluation program. The results of the evaluation show that the program was successful, with fidelity across 11 diverse community-based agencies serving 39 counties and 2 Tribal nations. SafeCare Colorado shows promise for families who complete the program.
Evaluation of Nurturing Parenting Programs
North Dakota Nurturing Parenting Programs (2017)
Explains an evidence-based evaluation in North Dakota of a parenting program designed to assess parenting and child-rearing attitudes to provide a risk indicator for possible abuse.
An Evaluation of the Family Support Center Network (PDF - 449 KB)
Allegheny County Department of Human Services (2016)
Presents an evaluation of 25 family support centers in Pennsylvania to assess family engagement, connections to social services, early childhood development and school readiness, maternal and infant health, and child abuse and neglect.
Family Preservation Programs Report (PDF - 45 KB)
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (2016)
Presents a report on family preservation programs in the State that serve families with at least one child at risk of being placed in care.
How Does the Parents for Parents Program Help Parents Reunify?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Discusses the Parents for Parents program in Washington State, which provides parents with support throughout a dependency case in court and reviews evaluation findings for the program.
Keeping Children Safe in Nebraska: Continuing to Improve Foster Care
KVC Nebraska (2017)
Describes intensive in-home family preservation services offered in Nebraska and explains how these services can help prevent the need for foster care. The article reviews successes seen in the Nebraska program.
Reinventing the Way We Measure Family Outcomes
Wilkinson & White (2018)
The Aspen Institute
Reviews a set of whole-family or two-generational outcomes measures representing key family goals that were applied to a home visiting program in Connecticut. The outcomes measures include healthy birth, safe children, family stability, and caregiver employment.
Strong Families and Safe Children: How Community Resource Centers Are Helping Families in Gainesville (PDF - 1,157 KB)
Casey Family Programs (2016)
Explores a partnership between the Partnership for Strong Families in north Florida and a resource center inside a library in Gainesville, Florida, that offered a network of family support services to the community in Gainesville. Over 5 years, the library partnership showed a 76 percent decrease in the number of verified child maltreatment reports in the surrounding communities.