Running head: THE EVALUATION PROCESS REPORT

The Evaluation Process Report

Lakisha Washington
CUR/528
July 6, 2015
Susan Kater

THE EVALUATION PROCESS REPORT

The Evaluation Process Report

Executive Summary
EMQ Families First was established in 1867. The organization started off as a
homeless shelter for youth. EMQ Families First is now a full-fledged agency that has
locations throughout the state of California ("Emqff.org", 2014). The agency has
expanded its reach for beyond homeless youth. EMQ Families first has become a leader
in providing a full range of community-supported program offerings to families and
children in crisis ("Emqff.org", 2014).
There is a great heritage in the development of the name of the organization. In
1987 there was a merging of visions. Eastfield Home of Benevolence which started in
1867, and Ming Quong Mission Home which was founded in 1874. The agencies joined
forces to fight homelessness and prostitution among children ("Emqff.org", 2014). To
further the fight for childrens rights EMQ merged with Families First in 2009
("Emqff.org", 2014). Families First originally started in 1974 to service three boys that
were emotionally disturbed ("Emqff.org", 2014). The best part of this third leg union is
the Foster Care, Residential Treatment, Community Mental Health services, and
Adoption services that were added ("Emqff.org", 2014).
Today, this union has a blended age of 142 years, and is a major transformer in
Californias system of care for children and families ("Emqff.org", 2014). EMQ Families
First functions as the largest family centered, comprehensive treatment program in the
state, and services 18,000 children and teens per year spanning over thirty counties
("Emqff.org", 2014).

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Program Description
While EMQ Families First has experienced tremendous success with servicing the
foster care and adoptions community, a recent needs analysis uncovered the need for a
transitional housing unit, that supports the extended foster care population ages 18-24.
Currently EMQ Families first has a transitional home for this population, in only two
counties. In 2012, a bill was passed that extended foster care services pass the age of
eighteen. It was noted that a great percentage of young adults would leave foster care
and end up in jail or homeless. Based on the findings of the need analysis the
stakeholders agreed to add the housing division that can support up to one hundred foster
youth from the ages of 18-21. Young adults that remain in foster care from ages 21-24,
will not be able to remain in the actual transitional housing unit, but upon successful
completion of the transitional housing program, will receive a monthly stipend of fivehundred dollars a month until the age of twenty-four.
The Families First Transitional Housing Program will provide the following;
Housing

Career & Education

Independent Living Skills

Studio Apartment

Development
Create Educational or Career

Banking & Finance Classes

Basic furnishings

Plan
Resume Workshop /Financial

Drivers Education/Training

Linens
Toiletries

Aid
Microsoft Office Workshop
Interviewing Skills

Set up Banking
Car Buying Support

After successfully graduation from the program, the goal is that each participant will be
ready for adulthood, and become a contributing part of society.
Description of the Problem

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Yearly, over 30,000 youth age out from the foster care system, and a staggering
20,000-25,000 are released from the juvenile corrections system ("Opening Doors:
Homelessness Among Youth", 2013). Due to a broken family unit these young adults have
limited options for social, family support, income, and housing ("Opening Doors: Homelessness
Among Youth", 2013).
Research supports that developed emancipation planning that can link youth to
housing, income support, behavioral health support, health coverage, career development, and
education. This planning can be the bridge that transforms the youth into emotionally whole,
self-supporting individuals ("Opening Doors: Homelessness Among Youth", 2013).
It will take creative programs that can target this population which is the most vulnerable
to homelessness. It will start with housing support, effective strategies, and program fidelity to
end homelessness with the aging out foster care community ("Opening Doors: Homelessness
Among Youth", 2013).

Purpose of the Evaluation

An evaluation was recently conducted to establish the plausibility of the program. It is
important to make sure the expected goals of the program were obtained. The success of this
program will open doors for EMQ Families First to extend into neighboring counties. The
evaluation will be measured against the said objectives listed in the logic model:
Families First Transitional Housing Logic Model
Resources
Facility to house
transitional

Activities
Host info
meetings for

Outputs
Weekly check-in
meetings

Outcomes
Young adults
will be able to

Impact
Less
homelessness

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clients

foster youth

Security

Partner w/social
workers

Experienced
Staff
Administrative
Support
Volunteers
Transportation
Furniture
Food Pantry

Partner with
independent
living programs
Meet with
current foster
parents to make
sure young
adults are ready
for independent
living

Follow up calls
with social
workers to
provide feedback
Weekly housing
meetings to
ensure guidelines
are established
and followed

self-support once
the transitional
living period is
over

among former
foster youth.
Former foster
adults will be
able to become
contribution parts
of society.

Focus Groups to
determine if the
needs of the
young adults are
being met.

Mental Health
Support
Funding

Data Collection:
The data will be collected by the following parties:
Initial Placement
Existing Placements
Already Transitioned Placements

County Worker & Foster Parent

Agency Worker & Foster Parent
Agency Social Worker & Foster Parent

Procedures for analyzing the data:

To ensure program fidelity, the data will be collected by one party, and analyzed by another.
County social workers will analyze agency workers data, and agency workers will analyze
county workers data.

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During the needs analysis the following information was gathered:

A total of one hundred and sixty five surveys were completed from current foster teens and
already transitioned foster youth. Eighty of the one hundred and sixty five will become a part of
AB-12, and will be turning eighteen in the upcoming year, and eighty five are already over the
age of eighteen, and in extended (AB-12) foster care. From the eighty five that have already
transitioned. Eighty of these clients are living in transitional living through another agency. That
is a lost opportunity of ninety four percent. A total of seventy three foster youth out of the eighty
that will be transitioning shared that they want to live in actual transitional housing. That is a
ninety two percent upcoming opportunity. This is a major opening for our agency. Below is a
table to support the information of surveys collected.

Total Surveys Collected

How many are currently under age 18
How many are over the age of 18 (AB-12)
Percentage that are living in transitional

165
80
85
80 out of 85 (94%)

housing ( lost opportunity)

How many have declared interest to live in

73 out of 80 (92%) possible opportunity.

transitional housing for 2017

The Opportunity (92%)
As noted in the needs assessment there was an opportunity to accept seventy-three
participants and put them through the program. Below are the statistics for the first twenty five
clients that have been a part of the program for at least twelve months. There are currently fortyeight that still remain in the program.

Results/Finding
Transitional Housing Client

Completed

Career &

Housing

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Independent

Education

Guidelines

Living Req.

Requirement

Followed

X
X
X
X

X
X

X
X
X
X

X
X

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10

LaTonya Jones
Anna Musso
Brenna Davis
Cory Sherman
Emily Chase
Ian Knight
Rick Norwood
Jas Singh
Juanita Downs
Lawrence Aquitania

.
11.
12

Shayla McGee
Teri Calvin

X
X

X
X

.
13

Brian Haserot

.
14

Chelce Ramiro

.
15

Daniel Perez

.
16

Ebony Davis

.
17

Joshna Basant

.
18

Lindsay Webb

.
19

Mariah Bruce

.
20

Missy Chandler

.
21

Alyce Candelaria

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

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.
22

Eva Sanchez

.
23

Jessica Williams

.
24

Victor Muljono

.
25

Victoria Fowler

.
As noted, fourteen out of twenty-five (55%) individuals successfully completed all
required performance objectives. There were eleven participants (45%) that did not meet the
objectives, and will have an additional six months to live in the transitional housing to meet
graduation standards. After the six month extension, if the objectives arent met, the client will
have to find another alternative place to live.

Summary for Improvement

Many valuable observations have been learned in this evaluation process (Royse, Thyer, &
Pagett, 2010).
Based on the information many foster youth showed an opportunity for further development in
the career educational plan measurement. It is recommended that EMQ Families First partner
with the San Joaquin Office of Education to develop strategies to promote development in these
areas. Perhaps constructing a plan in the senior year, and working with high school counselors,
foster parents, and agency social workers is a good start.
Another area of weakness is the ability to follow house rules. This is the first time many
of the transitioning foster youth lived without daily supervision. Many of them had unapproved

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overnight guests, and failed to meet the curfew of 1:00 a.m. These clients are of the legal age,
but due to program requirements, a curfew is mandated. Another area of issue that caused many
clients not to measure up in its category; the wonderful sport of marijuana smoking. House
managers found this to be an on-going battle. Moving forward, it is recommended that the
clients be giving a onetime grace, and afterwards, be immediately removed from the housing
unit. This will send a strong message to the other participants.
One a positive note, many of the young adults 23 out of 25 (92%), successfully
completed the independent skills living requirement. They were excited to learn about grocery
shopping, meal planning, cooking, credit, and how to obtain a drivers license.
Overall, this was a great first year, with opportunity to improve. Based on the findings of
this evaluation, permission is granted for continuance throughout the next year. If improvements
are made in the following noted areas, consent and funding will be granted to expand this
program into neighboring cities.
References

emqff.org. (2014). Retrieved from https://emq.org

Opening Doors: Homelessness Among Youth. (2013). Retrieved from

http://usich.gov/usich_resources/fact_sheets/opening_doors_homelessness_among_youth
Royse, D., Thyer, B., & Padgett, D. (2010). Introduction. In Program evaluation: an introduction
[Adobe Digital] (5th ed., pp. 5-6). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix Library
Database

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