On this episode, we discuss the Family First Prevention Services Act in the context of one state’s efforts to build evidence for a parent education program thought to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Katherine Guffey, Meg Dygert, and Allon Kalisher discuss a parent education program in Arizona that Mathematica evaluated, the Family First law, and the long-term implications of the law’s provisions around prevention services and evidence of effectiveness. Guffey is the executive consultant to the director of the Arizona Department of Child Safety. Dygert is the senior policy associate for child and family well-being at the American Public Human Services Association. Kalisher is a senior researcher at Mathematica.

Find a full transcript of the episode at https://www.mathematica.org/blogs/inside-arizonas-efforts-to-invest-in-evidence-based-foster-care-prevention-services.

Read Mathematica’s evaluation of Arizona’s the Nurturing Skills for Families program: https://mathematica.org/publications/impact-evaluation-of-the-nurturing-parenting-program-nurturing-skills-for-families

Read a policy brief from the American Public Human Services Association on unlocking the “prevention services” in the Family First Prevention Services Act: https://files.constantcontact.com/391325ca001/09019575-0805-4650-b3c5-4a6c58769a38.pdf

Learn more about our live podcast with Tina Rosenberg about the role of evidence in solutions journalism on May 2, 2023 at 2 p.m. ET: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7049466439790956544/

To submit comments or questions in advance of the LinkedIn Live event, email [email protected] or call Mathematica's On the Evidence podcast to leave a voicemail at (609) 945-6600.