%0 Journal Article %J Child Welfare %D 2012 %T Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) with Lakota families in two tribal communities: tools to facilitate FGDM implementation and evaluation. %A Marcynyszyn, Lyscha A %A Bear, Pete Small %A Geary, Erin %A Conti, Russ %A Pecora, Peter J %A Day, Priscilla A %A Wilson, Stephen T %K Child %K Child Welfare %K Community-Institutional Relations %K Culture %K Decision Making %K Family %K Female %K Follow-Up Studies %K Grief %K Humans %K Indians, North American %K Intergenerational Relations %K Male %K Models, Organizational %K Personal Satisfaction %K Program Evaluation %K Social Work %K South Dakota %K Stress, Psychological %X

This article describes an adapted Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) practice model for Native American communities, the FGDM family and community engagement process, and FGDM evaluation tools as one example for other native communities. Challenges and successes associated with the implementation and evaluation of these meetings are also described in the context of key historical and cultural factors, such as intergenerational grief and trauma, as well as past misuse of data in native communities.

%B Child Welfare %V 91 %P 113-34 %8 2012 %G eng %N 3 %0 Journal Article %J Child Welfare %D 2011 %T Context matters: real-world and utilization-focused evaluation strategies to support change and improvement in child welfare. %A Ward, Kristin J %A Maher, Erin J %A Marcynyszyn, Lyscha A %A Ellis, Mei Ling K %A Pecora, Peter J %K Achievement %K Child %K Child Welfare %K Education %K Employment %K Guidelines as Topic %K Humans %K Program Evaluation %K Social Support %K United States %X

This article examines the importance of context in evaluative inquiry. Following guidelines from real-world and utilization-focused evaluation frameworks, four projects are described to illustrate one foundation's pragmatic approach to evaluation that values collaboration, methodological appropriateness, and utilization. The authors contend that such an approach helps to ensure meaningful and actionable results in child welfare because it is responsive to local agency information and capacity needs while simultaneously contributing to the knowledge base of the field.

%B Child Welfare %V 90 %P 29-47 %8 2011 %G eng %N 2