Cross-Site Evaluation of the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program
In 2000, Congress passed the Children's Health Act (CHA) (42 U.S.C. 254c-6) to address the need for improvements in children's health services, pediatric research, services for children with developmental disabilities, birth defects prevention, prenatal and postnatal care and other activities regarding children's health and well-being. Title XII, Subtitle A-Infant Adoption Awareness-of the CHA authorized the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants available to national, regional, and local adoption organizations to develop and implement Infant Adoption Awareness Training Projects (IAATP). Funded projects train the staff of eligible health centers in the provision of adoption information and referrals to pregnant women on an equal basis with other family planning alternatives through objective, non-directive counseling techniques.
In 2006, James Bell Associates (JBA) was awarded a contract to implement a cross-site evaluation of IAATP. The cross-site evaluation will span five years, covering the period of performance for the six agencies awarded grants under the IAATP priority area in 2006. The overarching goal of the IAATP cross-site evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of IAATP in training health care workers (HCWs) to present pregnant women with accurate and complete information about adoption on an equal basis with other pregnancy planning options.