Outcome evaluation in services for families and children: Cross-national perspectives

Abstract

Cross-national comparisons of outcome evaluation in the field of child and family services hold great potential for improvement in outcome studies and for effective provision of services in each country. 
Building on our experiences with a series of international seminars involving researchers, academics and administrators, we delineate selected issues in conducting such research, describe the major themes to be investigated, and suggest future opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration. Through such collaboration we can contribute to the goals of clarifying the specifics of 'best practices' in child and family services, designing protocols for assessing outcomes and ultimately improving service delivery on behalf of vulnerable populations.