Appendix B. Formative Evaluation Information

HomeEc Formative Evaluation

Supporting Family Economic Well-Being through Home Visiting (HomeEc) Project

Information on the formative evaluation

Thank you for expressing interest in the Supporting Family Economic Well-Being through Home Visiting project, also known as HomeEc. This sheet gives more information on the formative evaluation on supporting families’ economic well-being.

HomeEc is planning to conduct rapid-cycle formative evaluation to test practices that home visiting programs could use to support a family’s well-being. Formative evaluations help programs make existing practices stronger or develop new practices, test them, and refine them by collecting information on how they are working. This formative evaluation is designed to test practices like goal setting, community referrals for economic well-being services, and financial education, including budgeting. The goal is to strengthen how home visiting programs address families’ economic well-being.

The formative evaluation will take place over the course of about one year, starting in fall 2024. The expected time commitment for staff will vary depending on their role in the organization. To participate in the study, we expect up to three core program staff to be in at least two calls per month for about a year, plus do some independent work. We expect to include mainly direct service staff in the evaluation; if there is a partner agency you want to involve in this work, we would also invite them to be part of the evaluation.

In addition to regular meetings, data collection will likely include:

• Interviews with program directors, supervisors, direct service staff, partner staff, and/or caregivers to learn about programs and identify the focus of the practice

• Up to six strategic planning meetings including program directors, supervisors, and direct service staff over the course of a year

• Interviews during learning cycles with program directors, supervisors, and staff

• Surveys for caregivers and direct service staff during learning cycles

We realize that we are asking a lot from programs and your staff and appreciate the time and effort you will put into participating in the evaluation. HomeEc is a unique opportunity for home visiting programs to participate in an innovative and collaborative process to design and try new practices to support families’ economic well-being. Program staff will receive hands-on training and technical assistance throughout the project. Please carefully consider if your program has the capacity to participate in these data collection components before confirming interest in the project.

If your program is selected, we will provide your program with $2,300 to acknowledge your contributions to the study and your participation in study activities. We will also set up a memorandum of understanding (or MOU) with your organization that will clearly outline all study expectations and a payment schedule.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at HomeEc@mathematica-mpr.com.