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State Foster Care Program Evaluation: Practical and Political Considerations
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| Presenter(s):
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| Margaret Richardson,
Western Michigan University,
margaret.m.richardson@wmich.edu
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| James Henry,
Western Michigan University,
james.henry@wmich.edu
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| Abstract:
Independent evaluation within any state human services department program serving vulnerable populations brings with it inherent challenges. These include issues of confidentiality, gaining permission for research, the availability of data, the validity of secondary data, and political and policy considerations. This paper explores the evaluation process within the Michigan foster care system, using the author’s experience of evaluating the process of identifying the needs of children as they first enter foster care. A consumer-oriented evaluation approach using mixed methods, involving review of foster care files to gather referral and assessment data and interviewing foster care staff and supervisors, among others, served as the framework for the evaluation. The data obtained was synthesized, and then contrasted with best practice according to existing literature. Impediments to conducting a consumer-oriented evaluation within a state foster care program are addressed, and challenges to the collection, analysis, and synthesis of results are reviewed with consideration of the political context.
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Evaluating the Impact of Non-traditional Interventions: Three Approaches to Capturing Case-level Information
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| Presenter(s):
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| Julie Murphy,
Human Services Research Institute,
murphy@hsri.org
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| Kimberly Firth,
Human Services Research Institute,
kfirth@hsri.org
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| Abstract:
Public child welfare agencies are increasingly embracing non-traditional interventions for the treatment and care of children suffering abuse or neglect. Capturing information regarding the provision of services in this context is difficult both because of the nature of alternative interventions, and because traditional data systems designed for external reporting or internal tracking typically do not systematically capture this information. This paper draws on experiences gained through the evaluation of kinship care in Ohio’s child welfare demonstration waiver. In approaching this evaluative task, researchers have attempted three different methodological approaches: qualitative interviewing with caseworkers, case record reviews conducted by a third party, and a web-based survey completed by caseworkers; each met with varying degrees of success and multiple major challenges. Notably, evidence suggests that web-based surveys are a promising avenue for capturing difficult to obtain case-level services information.
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