Evaluating family centres: The importance of sensitive outcomes in cross-national studies

Abstract

This paper explores the domain of family centres from the perspective of outcomes. Family centres are a cross-national phenomenon of complex, integrated services for children and their families, located in one site. The paper argues that centres are evaluated from an over-simplified and under-negotiated perspective of distal outcomes - the longer term outcomes owned by the agency and its professional stance. Instead, the authors propose a theory of change enabling more effective planning and evaluation of practice. The implication of the theory of change leads us to construct a triangular outcome framework embracing: a) distal outcomes, and also, b) proximal outcomes - steps-on-the-way, part of the journey of care and change; and, mediating outcomes - outcomes put in place to establish a milieu, disposing the centre to effective care and change. There is a concluding discussion about the methodological promise of collaborative enquiry in identifying and categorising different outcomes.

Portions of this manuscript are revised from a prior publication: Warren-Adamson, C., & Lightburn, A. (in press). Evaluating family centres: sensitive outcomes in cross-national studies. In: A.N. Maluccio, C. Canali, & T. Vecchiato (Eds.), Measuring success in child welfare. London: Oxford University Press.