Data collection instruments, measures, and analysis methods were created by a Federal Evaluation Team in partnership with CAPP to understand whether the Child and Family Practice Model is leading to expected outcomes. Early, rigorous evaluation demonstrated that groups of children in two CAPP sites who were served by social workers trained in the Practice Model moved out of foster care and into permanency more quickly, compared to those in a historical cohort who had not been served by the Practice Model. Additionally, there were promising indications that certain case characteristics of CAPP-served children contributed to increased permanency.

​The CAPP project made progress in boldly and ambitiously addressing an under-recognized social problem – institutional bias in child welfare – that negatively affects the lives of countless children who experience unnecessarily long foster care stays in the state of California and throughout the nation. The findings, accomplishments and lessons learned of the CAPP sites in co-creating and supporting culturally responsive implementation of the Child and Family Practice Model provides a clear path forward to more fully realize improved outcomes for greater numbers of children and their families.

The approach has far-reaching implications for the national child welfare community that is concerned about institutional bias and interested in building evidence-supported models of practice. The measurement tools and methodology developed to evaluate the Child and Family Practice Model—including the Parent/Caregiver Surveys and the child-specific historical matched comparison group—are important research advances suitable for continued and broader use. They are included in the CAPP Formative Evaluation Report which is expected to be finalized in approximately Spring 2017. The Federal Evaluation Team has also developed an Implementation Case Study which provides a detailed overview of the CAPP experience in creating and implementing the Child and Family Practice Model. When available, both reports will be posted at: www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/research/project/permanency-innovations-initiative-pii-evaluation.

The evaluation findings and many lessons learned during the CAPP journey are providing agency and community partners with inspiration and momentum in continuing to support and sustain the Child and Family Practice Model.

​Thank you to the leadership, staff and community partners in Fresno, Humboldt, Los Angeles (Pomona and Wateridge offices), and Santa Clara counties – the CAPP successes could not have been achieved without their incredible, sustained efforts on behalf of children and families.