building foundations: stabilizing one family at a...
TRANSCRIPT
Blended Funding Building
Foundations Initiative
Stabilizing One Family
At A Time
Rebecca Slay, MA, Building Foundations Program Manager,
United Way for Southeastern Michigan
Joan M. Abbey, LMSW, Building Foundations Evaluator,
Eastern Michigan University
25th Annual Children’s Mental Health Research & Policy
Conference, March 5, 2012
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Session Objectives
Overview Wayne County Graduated Program/Child Care Fund
Overview of Wayne County/United Way Partnership
Program Overview: Partners, How It Works, Program Eligibility
Evaluation Overview
Evaluation Results
Questions
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Overview
Wayne County (Department of Child & Family
Services) Graduated Program
Michigan Legislature Approved Public Act 280
of 1939
Counties are able to leverage State Funds
50% match for county expenditure
Dollar To Dollar!
No Cap On Funding!
PARTNERS
United Way for Southeastern Michigan
Third Circuit Court of Michigan (Child Care Fund)
Wayne County Department of Child & Family
Services (service arm of Court)
Juvenile Assessment Center
Service Providers
Wayne County/United Way
Partnership
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Service Provider Partners & Service Models
Youth After and In School Programs
1. Arab American and Chaldean Council Youth Recreation Center
2. Communities in Schools
3. Children’s Aid Society (Stars Program)
4. Franklin Wright Settlement
5. Neighborhood Services Organization
6. Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Home-based Models
1. Black Family Development (Family Connections)
2. Family Services, Inc.
Truancy Mediation Services
1. Wayne Mediation Center
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Building Foundations Vision
& Mission
VISION - Organizations, Third Circuit Court
Juvenile Division, government, institutions, and
the community working together to improve the
quality of life for youth and their families.
MISSION – Collaborate to provide resources
and services to at-risk youth to prevent them
from entering the juvenile justice or child welfare
system and out-of-home placement.
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How Blended Funding Works
Private donor funds are deposited into the
County Child Care Fund
Agencies provide services to eligible youth
Monthly reporting is submitted to UWSEM
UWSEM bills Wayne Co. for combined agency
expenses
Wayne Co. provides reimbursement, plus
state match
Building Foundations Program
Rationale
1. Academic failure in the middle school years and
an indifference to school are risk factors for
school dropout, delinquency, substance abuse,
teenage pregnancy and violence.
2. Communities with structured activities for youth
are five times more likely to be ranked among
the healthiest communities.
3. 88% of Metro-Detroit residents feel there are
NO safe places for children to gather in the
community.
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Rationale Continued
Saves taxpayer money
Protects communities and maintains families
Building Foundations programs build youth
competencies and internal assets, including:
Commitment to learning Academic skills
Positive values Social skills
Positive identity Vocational skills
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Youth Eligibility Determination
Youth must be between 7 -17 years old. Parent/guardian must agree to youth
participation. Youth have two or more risk factors:
1. Youth is using/experimenting with alcohol, tobacco or drugs
2. Youth has been truant from home 3. Youth has delinquent peer relationships 4. Youth has a history of school truancy, suspensions or expulsions 5. Parent having difficulty controlling youth 6. Youth is at risk of abuse or neglect 7. Youth is at imminent risk of out-of-home placement
PROCESS EVALUATION
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Process Evaluation
Ensures the program is implemented as designed -
program model fidelity.
A necessary first step in conducting outcome
evaluations - describes what took place in the
program.
The process evaluation serves both functions. Two
kinds of process information are being collected:
1. documentation of activities and program fidelity,
2. documentation of target population and program
staff characteristics.
Process Evaluation Questions
1. What are the characteristics of the youth and families in the blended funding program?
2. What program activities do the children and families participate in?
3. Is there fidelity to the agency service model as described in the UWSEM application?
Youth Characteristics 1st 4 Years
Ages 7 to 17, 50% to 60% males
Modal grade is grade seven
Majority are African-American, increases in
Hispanic youth in last two years
Two-thirds reside in Detroit, followed by
Hamtramck
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Risk Factors
57% one risk factor, one-third two risk
factors, one-quarter three or more risk
factors
1. Over half school truancy/expulsions, same
for delinquent peers
2. Roughly 40 percent to one-third lack of
parental control, home truancy
3. One-fifth physically assaultive behavior
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Service Intensity and Scope
Services as a percent of all
services
1.Group & individual
counseling – 71%
2.After-school activities –
56%
3.Conflict resolution – 49%
4.Social/life skills – 47%
5.Recreation – 42%
6.Family counseling – 40%
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OUTCOME EVALUATION
RESULTS
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Measurable Outcomes
Youth will not be the subject of a formal or
authorized delinquency complaint or child abuse
petition in the Third Circuit Court during their
tenure in the program and for 12 months post
service completion.
Youth achieve identified prevention/treatment
plan goals.
Youth remain drug free while in program.
Youth improve their school attendance as a result
of program participation.
Additional Contractual
Outcomes Youth improve
their school
performance as a
result of program
participation.
Youth remain free
of violent and
criminal behavior
while in the
program.
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Case Closure Status
Year 1 (N=56), Year 2 (N=217), Year 3
(N=521), Year 4 (N=786)
Over two-thirds of youth successfully
completed the program achieving plan goals.
Between two and four youth per year arrested
while in the program.
Roughly 83 to 95 percent of participating youth
do not have a petition filed with the Court 12 to
24 months post service completion.
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Risk Factors
Pairwise T-test run to measure changes in
means on risk factors at intake and termination.
For three risk factors change in means was
statistically significant at p=.0001 level – Home
Truancy, Parental Control Absent & School
Expulsion/Suspension/Drop Out (Year 3).
Two risk factors change was statistically
significant at p=.0001 level – Physically
Assaultive/Violent Behavior & School
Expulsion/Suspension/Drop Out (Year 2).
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School Outcomes
Between 60 and 80 percent of youth and parents
report improvements in grades and attendance,
along with statistically significant improvement in
school failure as a risk factor for youth
completing the program.
Year 2 - Youth with matched report cards at
intake & case closure. Mean Grade Point
Average rose from 1.9 at intake to 3.0 at case
closure.
Year 3 - Youth with matched report cards Mean
Grade Point Average rose from 2.08 at intake to
2.68 at case closure.
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Cost Effectiveness Analysis
FY2006/2007 - 56 youth served at average cost
per youth $4,006.
FY2007/2008 – 217 youth served at average cost
per youth $2,464.
FY2008/2009 – 521 youth served at average cost
per youth $1,535.
Cost of cheapest Court Sanctions if youth enters the
Juvenile Justice System
Cost for youth to be on probation for three months
$1,494.
Cost for youth to be on in-home detention for three
months $5,944.
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Summary
The Building Foundations Program:
Is serving the intended target population of children/youth
at-risk of entering the juvenile justice and child welfare
systems.
Is meeting its objectives for youth by improving their
outcomes relative to reducing youth risk factors, improving
youth’s grades and preventing their entry into the formal
juvenile justice and child welfare system.
Is meeting its program objectives of increasing the capacity
of youth service providers and reducing the cost of services
through economies of scale.
Is saving tax payers expenditures for more costly
intervention services.
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Questions
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