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Washington DC – Today, a new research report reveals policies that may advance the well-being of America’s children by improving collaboration across federal programs. Entitled Improving Children’s Health and Well-being by Integrating Children’s Programs, the report finds that there is growing recognition that federally-funded children’s programs could benefit from information-sharing, cross-agency coordination, and increased cooperation.
A number of U.S. agencies have been charged with promoting and protecting child health and well-being. These agencies have historically operated programs that, although beneficial, run in parallel, rather than functioning as parts of an integrated system. Commissioned by First Focus, the California Endowment, Nemours, and Voices for America’s Children and authored by NORC at the University of Chicago – an independent, objective non-profit research organization – today’s report sets forth a series of strategies, grounded in research, that may improve the design, implementation, and evaluation of all children’s programs, including new programs included in the health reform legislation known as the Affordable Care Act.
“The economic downturn produced an increased demand for children’s programs as well as increased pressure on state and federal budgets,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus, a bipartisan child advocacy organization. “This new research makes an important case for addressing the current “siloed” approach to administering federal programs. By improving the way programs are designed and implemented we will be able to maximize their impact on children and families while improving their efficiency.”
Recommendations following from this research are grouped into three categories:
- Program Design & Application: When designing programs, we must encourage comprehensive approaches that work across multiple sectors, collaborate on funding opportunities, require coordination among key stakeholders and state officials in program applications, support effective program infrastructures, and require approaches based on the best available evidence.
- Coordinated Federal Efforts: There is a need to consolidate needs assessments, develop a consistent evaluation framework, coordinate technical assistance opportunities, and allow for integrated funding from multiple private and public sources.
- Federal Leadership: A White House Office of Child Well-Being should be created and charged with coordinating children’s programs across the government.
“One of the benefits of this set of recommendations is that they can be implemented now,” saidDebbie Chang, Vice President of Policy and Prevention at Nemours.
Cheryl Austein Casnoff, Senior Fellow at NORC at the University of Chicago said, “Particularly interesting is how well findings from our object research align with the February 28, 2011 White House Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies. That memorandum instructs agencies to work closely with state, local, and tribal governments to identify administrative and other barriers in federally funded programs that prevent states, localities, and tribes, from achieving the best results for their constituents.”