ABSTRACT: The Ruth H. Young Center (RYC) for Families and Children, in collaboration with ACTION for Child Protection and the Alabama Department of Family Services (state and local agency representatives), will evaluate the effectiveness of Alabama’s Using Comprehensive Family Assessments to Improve Child Welfare services. The evaluation will include process, practice, and outcome components. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent comparison group design will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Protective Capacity Family Assessments (PCFA) as implemented in three pilot counties compared to three matched sites where the standard comprehensive family assessment and individualized service plan practices are implemented. The purpose of this evaluation is to implement a process, practice, and program evaluation of the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Process (CAP). The mixed-method evaluation will use administrative and archival data; interviews with workers, supervisors, and other stakeholders; and integrate the evaluation of the process and outcomes in Alabama’s ongoing Child and Family Services Review process. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Diane DePanfilis, PhD CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Sarah Kaye, PhD FUNDING SOURCE: ACTION for Child Protection under contract with the Alabama Department of Family Sources by Cooperative Agreement with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families
AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $149, 205 per year for five years for a total of $746,025
PROJECT DATES: November 2007 – September 2012 | 
