In 2008, the Child Abuse Prevention Program undertook an external review of its grant-making strategy. This review was in keeping with the foundation’s evaluation practice of conducting periodic reviews of its grant-making programs. Using external advice and feedback, these reviews help foundation staff assess whether their program strategies are effectively addressing significant gaps and needs in the field.
Through a multi-component process that examined the program’s grant-making strategy to date and consulted a broad range of professionals in the prevention field, the Child Abuse Prevention Program developed a revised grant-making strategy to guide its funding over the next five years. The revised strategy was endorsed by the foundation's board in February 2009:
Review Process and Findings
Below are descriptions of and findings for each of the five components of the external review process, which solicited input from a broad range of professionals. To help manage and document the process, the program engaged the RAND Corporation’s Promising Practices Network (PPN), an online resource dedicated to providing quality, evidence-based information about strategies and services that improve the lives of children, youth and families.
1. Online Survey
In close consultation with the Child Abuse Prevention Program, PPN staff developed a web-based survey to “take the pulse” of the prevention field. The survey was widely distributed by email, listservs and electronic newsletters. Over 2,300 individuals responded to the survey and 65% wrote in comments to several open-ended, qualitative questions.
2. “Thought” Papers
The Child Abuse Prevention Program commissioned opinion papers from six child welfare experts with diverse backgrounds and experience. Each expert responded to the following question: If you had $5 million to spend each year for the next five years to prevent child abuse and neglect in the U.S., how would you spend it?
3. Analysis and Dissemination of Findings
RAND analyzed the survey results and expert papers to distill key themes and lessons learned from these inquiries. RAND then spurred additional discussion in the field by posting the survey results and papers on the Promising Practices Network, making them easily and broadly accessible to the field. The public was invited to comment on the materials.
4. Expert Panel Meeting
On July 23-24, 2008, the Child Abuse Prevention Program convened a panel of nine experts from research, academia, policy, pediatrics, early childhood development, and parent advocacy to review and discuss the work of the program to date and explore possible future directions for the foundation’s grant-making. The panel was charged with answering the following questions:
- Is the program addressing critical opportunities and needs to prevent child abuse and neglect in order to promote healthy child development?
- Has DDCF devised appropriate strategies for meeting these needs and opportunities, and have the program's strategies been effectively implemented? What should DDCF consider doing differently?
- What new opportunities should the program consider pursuing in the future?
5. Report to the Board
Recommendations for the Child Abuse Prevention Program's revised grant-making strategy were presented to and approved by the DDCF Board of Trustees in February 2009.