Wyoming Child Welfare and Early Childhood Partnerships Grant Evaluation
This evaluation seeks to determine the extent to which the Wyoming Department of Family Services' funded efforts improves coordination and communication; strengthens networks; and increases referrals to and enrollments in ECE programs.
This mixed-methods process and outcomes evaluation began with facilitation of a Pathway to Change with key project partners to identify project goals and appropriate associated evaluation strategies. The project aims to strengthen collaboration between Wyoming’s child welfare agency, early care and education (ECE) systems, and key partners to ensure children ages 0-5, with child welfare involvement, have prioritized access to high-quality ECE services through training, compilation of resources, and implementation of community-defined strategies. We will conduct Social Network Analysis at two timepoints to show changes in partnership, administer surveys to assess training outcomes, and conduct interviews and focus groups to understand staff perspectives on implementation challenges and successes. We will also conduct Ripple Effects Mapping to learn what staff from ECE and child welfare view as the positive and far-reaching outcomes associated with their efforts.