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Georgia's Second Chance Homes: Evaluation Findings and Usefulness
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| Presenter(s):
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| Rebekah Hudgins, Independent Consultant, broughudgins@bellsouth.net
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| Steve Erickson, EMSTAR Research Inc, ericksoneval@att.net
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| Abstract:
Georgia's Second Chance Home (SCH) network provides a safe alternative living situation for teen mothers who want to parent their children but have few housing options. The overarching goal of SCH is to build strong families and break the cycle of persistent poverty and dependency associated with teenage childbearing. An extensive evaluation system has been in place since 2002 and findings have consistently shown that providing a safe and supportive living environment for teen mothers and their children can help mothers stay free of repeat teen pregnancies, stay in school, rebuild relationships with their families and the father of their children, and make better life choices. This presentation will review these findings related to program management and practice as well as outcomes for the young families. Finally, the presentation will highlight issues related to long-term follow-up and evaluation work with a fragile and highly mobile population.
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Guiding the Fleet: Applying an Overarching Evaluation Framework to Unify a Set of Loosely Connected Studies
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| Presenter(s):
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| Yvonne Godber, University of Minnesota, ygodber@umn.edu
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| Abstract:
One foundation, four stand-alone intervention projects, four separate evaluators, and multiple grantees joined forces to inform a State's emerging early childhood system. Participants will learn how several key decisions and tools paved a cohesive path for the otherwise unconnected studies. Examples of tools and lessons learned from the process will be shared to help evaluators consider how a common framework can be applied to multiple, diverse studies to a) improve stakeholders' understanding of the larger purpose, b) prompt greater involvement in the evaluations, and, ultimately, c) encourage greater use of the evaluation results. The evolution of a research consortium, and development of an overarching conceptual model, evaluation questions, shared assessment battery, and taxonomy will be described. These tools guided the work and relationships of the evaluators and funders to create a structure where both project-specific and foundation-wide findings can be used to better inform the emerging system.
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