See a list of our publications at
Digital Case.
Overview
Our research, conducted by Center staff and faculty members of Case Western Reserve University's
Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, where the Center is based, has studied the impact of
welfare reform on former welfare recipients; evaluated programs such as Cuyahoga County's Invest in
Children initiative; and partnered with public and non-profit community development agencies on
neighborhood revitalization. The Center produces both academic, peer-reviewed research papers, and
numerous summaries and data briefs aimed at the broader audience of policy-makers, activists and
the general public. The Center also serves as a "convener"-bringing together community development
professionals from the region and from around the country to share data, research and ideas.
Welfare
Welfare is particularly relevant since its mid-1990s radical reform which,
among other things, imposed time limits on receiving cash assistance. The Center studies the
experiences of those leaving welfare in such areas as employment, housing, nutrition and medical
care, and compares the experiences of those who left welfare because they reached their time
limits, and those who left for other reasons.
Neighborhood Change
To help promote neighborhood and community change, the Center serves as an
informational resource to neighborhood organizations and individuals, providing technical
assistance and ongoing evaluation of community building initiatives.
Community Saftey
With its research on the many aspects of Community Safety, the Center
recognizes that such issues dominate the concerns of those living in our urban
neighborhoods.
Child & Family
The Center's Child and Family studies acknowledge that children are among
the most vulnerable to adverse economic and social conditions. The Center's efforts include
evaluations of community efforts to improve those conditions.
Program Evaluation
The Center's staff engages in a variety of applied research activities including the evaluation
of community needs and the effects of policies and programs. Collectively, these projects are
designed to enhance the impact of human service and community development efforts. The evaluation
work is designed to generate data for program operators and funders to ensure accountability and
inform efforts aimed at program improvement.
The Center has engaged in a range of evaluation work across various substantive areas. Since
2000, a multi-components evaluation has been underway at the Center focused on the County's early
childhood programming. This broad project has also assessed the current state of early care and
education in the County both in terms of capacity and quality. Other recent work has examined the
effectiveness of the job training services provided to families on TANF, the impact of a youth
development fellowship for youth work professionals. Center staff routinely meet with
representatives from nonprofit and government entities to explore opportunities to use evaluation
methods to maximize organization's capacity to meet the needs of their clientele. By combining the
use of multiple research methods and design, the Center assists programs in enhancing their
effectiveness and contributes to the broadening knowledge base in the social sciences
|
