Evaluation Technical Assistance and Cross-site Evaluation of Early Head Start/Child Welfare Services Grantees
In an effort to enhance and expand services for children and families that are involved in the child welfare system, the Early Head Start/Child Welfare Services (EHS/CWS) initiative was established through a partnership between the Head Start Bureau and the Children's Bureau. Under this initiative, demonstration grants were awarded to 24 agencies operating Early Head Start (EHS) programs to promote and expand collaborative partnerships between EHS programs and their local child welfare agencies. Each project is expected to conduct its own local evaluation to increase knowledge about practices that are effective with the target population and in building effective partnerships between EHS and child welfare agencies. In 2002, Children's Bureau awarded JBA a five-year contract to provide evaluation technical assistance to the Early Head Start/Child Welfare Services Demonstrations by assisting grantees with evaluation designs and building local capacity to conduct process and outcome evaluations. Through work with the EHS programs nationwide, JBA has explored programmatic and policy issues such as the following: development of streamlined and standardized referral and assessment procedures across EHS and CWS agencies; cross-agency training and education; and the establishment of inter-agency guidelines for sharing client data while maintaining standards for data privacy and confidentiality. JBA has summarized and disseminated findings regarding these issues through a series of five synthesis papers that compile information reported in grantees' semi-annual progress reports. The cross-site analysis of findings from the EHS grantees has assisted Federal agencies and local grantees in understanding the target populations, organizational cultures and service delivery systems of EHS and CWS programs. These analyses also have enhanced CWS agencies' understanding of the service needs of infants and toddlers entering the child welfare system.