Social Work Commons^™

Planning And Presenting A Yearly Informational Conference For Grandfamilies, Susan M. Collins 3512464

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Abstract

This practice brief describes the planning and implementation of a local yearly conference for grandparents raising grandchildren. The conference was first held in 2002, and today is offered by a task force consisting of Area Agency on Aging staff, grandparents, Human Service program staff, representatives of various provider agencies and organizations, and academics from a local university. This practice brief describes funding, venue, logistics of the conference day, topics of most interest over the years, and the challenge of reaching grandfamilies. Also described is how evaluation by grandparents has helped the conference evolve to remain relevant and meaningful for …

Evaluating The Environmental Effectiveness Of Grassroots Environmental Stewardship Organizations In Maryland, Sarah Close, Dana R. Fisher, William Yagatich, Anya Galli Robertson

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

Small organizations that conduct environmental stewardship projects often lack access to the research capacity, funding, or tools needed to evaluate scientifically the environmental effectiveness of the measures they undertake. Still, evaluation of environmental effectiveness, defined here as the implementation of specific local goals, is prudent where projects are carried out with environmental stewardship goals in mind. We propose and test a process for evaluating environmental effectiveness of stewardship programs in a rigorous, yet feasible, approach through analysis of archived documents, program materials, and project inventories, as well as a survey of program participants. Using three franchises of the Watershed Stewards …

Using Service Learning In The Teaching Of And Research On Program Evaluation, Brandon W. Youker Ph.D, Nicholas Bayer Bs, Allyssa Ingraham Bs

Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

Most students who are planning for a career in the health and human services are required to complete a course on program evaluation. This article describes a graduate-level service learning course whereby the instructor divided students into small evaluation teams and assigned the teams one of two distinct models by which to evaluate the same non-profit organization. The teams were assigned either goal-free evaluation or success case method; and they conducted their respective evaluations independently and simultaneously. Each team was responsible for disseminating their findings to the program via a written report in addition to an oral presentation. At the …

The Needs Of Informal Grandparent Caregivers And How They Are Met At The Kinship Family Center, Emily Jane Osborne-Lewis, Shanta Lashawn Clardy

Theses Digitization Project

Seventeen grandparent caregivers, who have primary responsibility for one or more grandchildren and do not have a parent of the grandchildren living in the household, were interviewed to evaluate the effectiveness of the services offered by Kinship Family Center (KFC), a non-profit support agency for relative caregivers and the children in their care. Kinship Family Center is a program of the Central City Lutheran Mission and is funded by the San Bernardino County Department of Children's Services. The researchers found that KFC was an effective asset for informal grandparent caregivers. For grandparents, it was a source of support and comfort …