National Cross-Site Evaluation of the Replication of Demonstrated Effective Prevention Programs
This evaluation investigates the implementation and outcomes of eight projects throughout the country that are replicating a child neglect prevention model from the University of Maryland-Baltimore called Family Connections. The Family Connections model is an early intervention, psychosocial, community-based neglect prevention program for families having significant difficulty meeting the needs of their children. The model was designated through a national nomination process as a "demonstrated effective" program because its evaluation demonstrated the program's effectiveness at increasing protective factors and reducing risk factors for child neglect. Under the national cross-site evaluation, eight projects are testing the effectiveness of the program with a variety of populations and geographic areas. The evaluation focuses on the following: (1) whether grantees are able to replicate the original program successfully and demonstrate fidelity to the core components of the model; (2) how grantees make adaptations to the original model and the impact of those changes; and (3) whether grantees are able to demonstrate outcomes similar to those found in the original Family Connections evaluation.