Evaluation of Promoting Safe and Stable Families

As frontline workers in the healthcare system, nurses are uniquely placed to evaluate various program have been enacted to
address different health and social issues. They have a great understanding of the needs of the patients and other targeted
populations and can, therefore, be effective in promoting their interests not just during the formulation of the policies but also
during their evaluation. This paper examines Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program evaluation and the role of a nurse in
such evaluation.

Healthcare
Program/Policy
Evaluation

Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (PSSF).

Description

Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (PSSF) is a federal program that helps states with funds
to provide children with a safe and stable family environment (Casey Family Programs, 2011). To
this end, the program helps to ensure that children are safe from maltreatment and live safely with
their families. The program also helps children in foster care achieve timely permanency.

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How was the
success of the
program or
policy
measured?

The success or failure of the program is determined based on its ability to meet its objectives and
secure more funding. Since its enaction in 1993, the program has certainly been a success. The
program is considered a success based on two factors. First, it has been re-authorized multiple times
since it was started. This re-authorization could not have taken place if Congress considered the
program to be a failure. Secondly, funding for the program has increased over five times since its
inception. In 1994, $60 million were allocated to the program. 25 years later, funding had increased
to $345 million (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). Additionally, the
funding had been made compulsory. The increase in funding could only have occurred if the
program was deemed a successful one.

How many
people were
reached by the
program or

There are no clear figures showing how many children benefit from PSSF program. However, the
figures can be approximated based on the number of children under the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps and Native American Tribes. Nationally, a quarter of

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policy selected?
How much of an
impact was
realized with the
program or
policy selected?

children or around 20 million children receive food stamps (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
2017). Since funding for PSSF is based on the number of children under the SNAP program, it can
be approximated that the number of children benefiting from PSSF program runs into millions across
the nation.

The PSSF program has definitely had a major impact on key areas that it seeks to address. These are
reducing children maltreatment, and the time that children spend in foster care as statistics show that
the number of children in foster care has been steadily reducing since the program’s inception
(Crary, 2020).

At what point in
program
implementation
was the program
or policy
evaluation

Funding for the PSSF program is usually done after one year (Stoltzfus, 2018). Therefore, the
policy’s evaluation occurs after every year when deciding its budgetary allocation.

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conducted?

What data was
used to conduct
the program or
policy
evaluation?

The main data that is used to evaluate the program is its budgetary allocation from both the federal
and state governments. These allocations reveal whether there has been expansion or contraction of
the program in different states.

What specific
information on
unintended
consequences
were identified?

One of the goals of PSSF was to reduce the problem of children overstaying in foster care homes.
However, since the program’s inception it has kept on expanding in terms of budgetary allocation
and has almost become permanent.

What
stakeholders
were identified

Key stakeholders in the program include Native American Tribes, adoptive parents, foster parents,
schools, teachers, department of human services in all states, law enforcement, families with
protection cases, and vulnerable families (United States Department of Health and Human Services,

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in the evaluation
of the program
or policy? Who
would benefit
most from the
results and
reporting of the
program or
policy
evaluation? Be
specific and
provide
examples.

2018). Of these stakeholders, adoptive parents and foster parents are likely to benefit the most in the
results and reporting of the program’s evaluation. Increased funding of the program is likely to
increase adoption rates and assistance that foster care parents receive.

Did the program
or policy meet
the original
intent and

The program certainly met its original objectives as the number of children in foster care has been
steadily declining. However, it is not easy to determine whether it has achieved its other objectives
as they keep on changing with time (Casey Family Programs, 2011).

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objectives? Why
or why not?
Would you
recommend
implementing
this program or
policy in your
place of work?
Why or why
not?

I would definitely recommend this program in my place of work because it provides valuable resources
to vulnerable families and helps children to re-unite with their families quickly thus helping them to
grow up in a safe and stable environment.

Identify at least
two ways that
you, as a nurse
advocate, could
become involved
in evaluating a
program or

Two ways that I can become involved in evaluating a program after one year of implementation are
volunteering to participate in the evaluation committee and contacting Congress members with
suggestions on how the program can be improved during its evaluation in Congress.

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policy after one
year of
implementation.

Conclusion

This paper evaluated the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program. As the evaluation shows, the program plays an
important role in helping children grow up in a safe and stable environment. It has certainly been a successful program as
evidenced by the massive increase in federal that the program has enjoyed since inception. To make more effective in addressing
the needs of the targeted population, the role of a nurse in the evaluation has also been discussed.

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References

Casey Family Programs. (2011). The Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program: Background and Context.
http://www.casey.org/media/PromotingSafeandStableFamilies.pdf.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2017). SNAP Helps Millions of Children. https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-
assistance/snap-helps-millions-of-children.

Crary, D. (2020, August 24). New Federal Data: Fewer Kids in US Foster Care System. APC News

Stoltzfus, E. (2018). Child welfare funding in FY2018. Report R45270. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service.

Stoltzfus (2019). Comparison of Current and Proposed Mandatory Funding to States and Tribes Under Title IV-B, Subpart 2 of
the Social Security Act https://www.cwla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/IV_B_newmoney_4_29_2019.pdf.

United States Department of Health & Human Services. (2018). Administration for Children and Families (ACF): Mandatory.
https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2018/budget-in-brief/acf/mandatory/index.html#promoting.