A Formative Evaluation of the Family Strengthening Program in the Treasure Valley

Chyung, S.Y., Miller, M., Shamsy, J.A., Hansen, J., & Leeds, S. (2020). A formative evaluation of the Family Strengthening Program in the Treasure Valley. Journal of Family Strengths, 20(1).  https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/jfs/vol20/iss1/7

The Challenge   

This project included a pro-bono formative evaluation of the Family Advocates’ Family Strengthening Program (FSP) in Idaho’s Treasure Valley. The program supports families that encounter poverty, domestic violence, child abuse/neglect, or parenting struggles through education and development. This education focuses on helping participants to develop resilience through five protective factors.

Participants attend weekly meetings that span over a 20-week period including a family-style meal and incentives (food, diapers, formula, etc.) for completion. At completion, program graduates are invited to join an alumni Facebook group. The team wanted to know: How well were participants improving their protective factors (desired program outcome)? What did the participants need? What other intended or unintended outcomes were participants experiencing?

Work Description

A team of researchers and FSP administrators collaborated to conduct the evaluation. This included several approaches including:

  • goal-based approach assessing how well participants improved in protective factors
  • goal-free approach assessing intended or unintended outcomes
  • needs-based approach collecting data to identify participants’ needs through survey questionnaires, interviews, extant data reviews, and participant observations.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis was used to identify themes and seven findings including the change in participant improvement in protective factors pre- and post-program, the importance of socialization, desire to have a semi-structured curriculum, importance of highly motivated staff and volunteers, etc.

Based on these findings, ten recommendations were identified including changing the schedule for incentives, requiring participants to demonstrate learning through deliverables/homework, strengthening volunteer education and communication, establishing partnerships to support additional evaluation and grant writing efforts, etc.

Methods/Technology Employed

  • Quantitative and qualitative data collection including surveys, interviews, observations, and extant data
  • MSExcel
  • MSWord
  • Collaborative team-based research

Theoretical Foundations

  • Center for the Study of Social Policy Strengthening Families approach emphasizing a protective factors framework
  • Goal-free and goal-based needs-based evaluation processes
  • Best practices in survey design and interview protocol development
  • Program logic model

What I Learned

It takes all kinds of data to tell a story!

This evaluation required both qualitative and quantitative data from program administrators, volunteers, and participants to tell the full story. Quantitative data analysis, as part of the goals-based evaluation, indicated participants improved in protective factors and parenting skills. However, just as important, qualitative data analysis uncovered that participants placed a great value on the friendships formed and support received from one another through program weekly meetings and Facebook group interactions.