This guidebook covers the necessary steps for nonprofit organizations that wish to implement outcome management (also known as "managing for results"), and includes guidance on establishingan outcome-oriented measurement process and practices for using the information internally.
Over a recent 32 month period, Florida's Commission on Responsible Fatherhood, in partnership with Workforce Florida, Inc., administered five locally based programs under a model called Equipping Parents to Strengthen Families. The programs were operative in Brevard, Broward, Dade, Leon and Polk counties. These programs were part of Florida's welfare reform initiative and served 980 low-income noncustodial parents by helping them find and maintain stable employment, make their child support payments and improve their relationships with their children. This report highlights the results of the…
This report provides findings from an assessment of eight fatherhood demonstration projects funded by the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), within the Department of Health and Human Services. Following an introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 discusses the importance of child support for low-income families and the special issues that make collecting child support from low-income parents problematic. Much of the current national discussion about responsible fatherhood activities has focused on low-income fathers and programs to serve them. Chapter 3 describes the eight…
This report examines the treatment of low-income fathers in the child support system in the U.S. and how the system could be improved. The report suggests that the time of establishment of the child support order and shortly thereafter is the key time for the child support agency to establish a more positive relationship with low-income fathers. Improving this "up-front" process could increase both financial and emotional support for children. The report analyzes default order practices, examines best state practices, and reviews and analyzes selected international practices. The report…
The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network held a roundtable in November 2003 to discuss best practices for strengthening families separated by parental incarceration. Participants reviewed national trends and examined the components of state initiatives designed to reduce recidivism and alleviate the negative impact of parental incarceration on children. Emphasis was placed on improving parenting skills and nurturing parent-child relationships. This final report summarizes the challenges identified by programs, such as the lack of family stability, limited parenting skills, child support…
This report discusses the outcomes of an evaluation of Healthy Families Arizona, a home visitation program designed to provide supportive services and education to parents of newborns who might benefit from support to strengthen their families. The program is intended to promote positive parent/child interaction and child health, and prevent child abuse and neglect. All services are voluntary and assistance is typically provided for 12 to 18 months but may be provided for up to five years. This report focuses on aggregate data that are summarized across the 23 sites that make up the Healthy…
The Responsible Fatherhood Management Information System was designed by The Lewin Group to provide a mechanism for fatherhood demonstration programs to track participation. The system stores data about the characteristics of participants, services, outcomes, and costs. The elements can be customized to address the specific requirements of each program. This manual provides printed copies of data forms and instructions for using the system. Sample data entry screens and lists of data fields are included.
