Evaluating outcomes is critical for program growth and improvement. Increasingly, agency administrators are being required to provide evidence that their services make a difference for the children, families, and communities they serve.
To assist in this effort, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides two Logic Model Builders: Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/Family Support Programs and Postadoption Services Programs. These Logic Model Builders help programs define their service goals and outcomes, identify indicators of success, and select evaluation instruments that may be appropriate to measure success. The Logic Model Builder will help you develop your own logic model and get a head start in planning an evaluation of your program.
What is a logic model?
A logic model is a map or a simple illustration of what you do, why you do it, what you hope to achieve, and how you will measure achievement. It includes the anticipated outcomes of your services, indicators of those outcomes, and measurement tools to evaluate the outcomes. The Logic Model Builders were designed to provide guidance in developing a logic model—that is, a picture of how a program works. Learn more about logic models.
Evaluation Toolkit
The FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention has developed an Evaluation Toolkit to help prevention programs in their evaluation efforts. The toolkit assists child abuse and neglect prevention, family support, and parenting programs in evaluating their effectiveness in improving outcomes for children and families. Learn more on the FRIENDS website: Evaluation Toolkit.
More About the Logic Model Builders
In May 2011, Child Welfare Information Gateway and FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention conducted a webinar on the Evaluation Toolkit and Logic Model Builders. The webinar covered the purposes and development and explored how to use the Logic Model Builders, with options and features for developing and presenting your logic model, and how to use the Information Gateway library to conduct literature reviews and explore the research on child welfare practices. Learn more by viewing the webinar: The Logic Model Builder and Information Gateway Resources for Exploring the Research on Evidence-Based Practices.
The Logic Model Builder for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/Family Support Programs is a collaborative effort between the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, which developed the content, and Child Welfare Information Gateway, which created the online application. The Logic Model Builder for Postadoption Services Programs was developed by Child Welfare Information Gateway in collaboration with a national panel of adoption experts (PDF - 38 KB).