What Works

Research and on-the-ground experience can help you identify, develop and promote successful approaches that contribute to better conditions for children and families’ lives. Although scientifically rigorous research is lacking across many fields, other useful evidence (of multiple types) is available, ranging from state program evaluations to cost-benefit analyses.

Choose a Result (priority), Topic or Strategy:

Priority: Children are Healthy

Topics	Strategy

Reduce Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy	Raise awareness and build public will Reduce unplanned pregnancies Support a broad prevention approach
Prevent Childhood Obesity	Improve access to affordable, healthy foods Support healthy school initiatives Support healthy community design

Under Construction
Children's social, emotional and behavioral health

Priority: Children Enter School Ready to Learn and Prepared to Succeed

Topics	Strategy

Improve Early Grade-level Reading	Increase quality early care and education Improve K-3 academic success Support and strengthen vulnerable families Increase health care access

Under Construction

Priority: Youth are Prepared to Succeed as Adults

Topics	Strategy

Increase College Completion	Increase college readiness Expand access Improve persistence rates Increase college completion
Increase High School Completion	Establish graduation as the expectation for all students Support student success from preschool to adulthood Target interventions to high need students and schools
Promote Youth Civic Engagement	Establish opportunities for youth voice in government Promote policies to support youth engagement Promote youth service Promote youth voter registration
Reduce Juvenile Detention	Develop alternatives to detention Require detention admission criteria Reduce racial disparities Mandate safe conditions of confinement
Reduce Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy	Raise awareness and build public will Reduce unplanned pregnancies Support a broad prevention approach
Support Youth Transitioning from Foster Care	Support the placement of youth in permanent nurturing families with their siblings Ensure educational continuity and post-secondary educational opportunities Expand economic opportunity Support safe, affordable housing options Ensure access to comprehensive coordinated health care Create and support opportunities for youth to be listened to, to be informed, to be respected and to exert control over their lives

Under Construction
Adolescent substance abuse
Juvenile delinquency

Priority: Children Grow Up in Safe, Supportive and Economically Successful Families

Topics	Strategy

Promote Affordable Housing	Support the development of responsible affordable housing options Support and strengthen federal housing programs Provide housing protections for low-income families Coordinate access to services and support asset building
Reduce Child Poverty	Increase household financial resources Control household costs Build household assets Curb household debt
Reduce Home Foreclosures	Require mediation Create a moratorium or extend timeline Protect against predatory lending Provide counseling and financial assistance
Increase Exits from Foster Care to Permanence
—Through Reunification	Increase timely access to substance abuse treatment Expand intensive family preservation services Reduce court delays Require Family Involvement in Decision-Making
—Through Adoption	Ensure adequate subsidy payments Establish a commission to identify barriers Provide for continuous court jurisdiction Examine timeframes for termination of parental rights Establish state adoption tax credits Fund post-adoption supports and services
—Through Guardianship	Set adequate subsidy and benefit levels Ensure that cost savings can be retained for child welfare purposes Require child welfare agencies to fully inform caregivers about guardianship Require data-driven reports to the legislature
Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect	Invest in child and family programs and services that reduce risks and strengthen protective factors Strengthen communities Promote a statewide prevention vision

Under Construction
Fatherhood
Workforce strategies for reintegrating ex-offenders

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Think Results! Policy strategies are most effective as part of a results-based strategy .

Accountability through Interagency Collaboration. For more information on increasing accountability for results through interagency collaboration.

Accountability through Community Decisionmaking. A sound local collaboration encompasses shared accountability and promotes collective commitment to the same results. For more information on Community Decisionmaking.

See Examples of State Success. The policy approaches presented in this website are informed by research and success stories from states.

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What Works

What Works