Research and Evaluation

Investments that encourage a focus on quality research and evaluation to learn what ideas and approaches are most effective for improving the well-being of children and families.

With an ambi­tious goal to ensure that all chil­dren in the Unit­ed States suc­ceed, it’s imper­a­tive that we sup­port the adop­tion of approach­es, poli­cies and pro­grams proven to work. To that end, we’ve devel­oped a robust research and eval­u­a­tion agenda.

Deter­min­ing what works, how­ev­er, isn’t always easy. Exist­ing research may be inad­e­quate to guide our activ­i­ties or the avail­able data are insuf­fi­cient. Per­haps the com­plex­i­ty of a prob­lem makes prop­er­ly mea­sur­ing suc­cess too daunt­ing or costly.

As an orga­ni­za­tion com­mit­ted to learn­ing, we rig­or­ous­ly eval­u­ate the effec­tive­ness of our own ideas and solu­tions and share our lessons broad­ly. We also strength­en the capac­i­ty of oth­ers to do the same, help­ing them devel­op stronger data sys­tems and adding to the knowl­edge base of emerg­ing ideas.

From the Blog

A counseling session in progress. In the foreground, a professional with dark skin is holding a clipboard and pen, taking notes. Two individuals sit across from the therapist — one has knees drawn up to the chest and wears jeans and sneakers, suggesting a potentially distressed or vulnerable posture. The other wears a light sweater vest and jeans. The setting appears calm and professional.

Youth Mental Health Statistics

Discover key youth mental health statistics for 2024, including trends, challenges and insights into how mental health impacts teens and young adults today.

Read More

Identifying Best Approaches With Research and Data

The Casey Foundation is supporting research to help strengthen rural families.

Helping Rural Kids and Parents Succeed

Learn more about Casey's work to support Rural IMPACT, a federal initiative to reduce poverty in 10 sites through coordinated services for both children and parents.

Members of the Casey Foundation's Leaders in Evaluation and Equitable Diversity cohort.

Improving Evaluation Science With Diversity

The Foundation's Leaders in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity seeks to increase the diversity of leaders in the evluation space to improve the knowledge base and make better and more inclusive science and social innovation.

Federal financing for child welfare services is an important driver of services and policy decisions.

Understanding Child Welfare Funding

A report on child welfare financing is an example of how the Casey Foundation funds fact finding and data gathering to advance the work of policymakers, practitioners and communities.