Evaluation of Key Strategies and Lessons Learned from the PAF Program

Early childbearing can have significant health, social, and economic impacts on young parents and their children. Accordingly, finding ways to improve the circumstances of expectant and parenting young families and addressing their diverse needs has been a long-standing priority of the federal government, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs (OPA). From 2010-2019, OPA funded states and tribal organizations to provide a network of services to support young families through the Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) grant program. The PAF program provided support for services such as case management, referrals to educational services, parenting education, relationship skill-building, home visiting services, referrals to health care, as well as more practical supports such as child care, baby supplies, food, and access to safe and stable housing. Together these services aim to make a difference in improving the educational, health, social, and economic circumstances of expectant and parenting young families.

Building on the work of previous studies, OPA identified successful strategies and lessons learned from the PAF grant program. This project assessed the PAF program as a whole and provided a set of topical products that represent the culmination of lessons learned over the course of the PAF program. This project generated relevant and usable findings and products that provide insight into effective strategies and challenges to ultimately inform funders, grantees, and other service providers working with expectant and parenting young families. The ultimate goal of this work is to improve programs and services to better meet the diverse needs and improve the well-being of young families.

The briefs and case studies linked below were developed using the findings from an initial review and synthesis of program data, phone interviews with selected grantees or partners, and site visits.

Briefs

• Policy and Systems-Level Approaches to Improve Services for Expectant and Parenting Youth and their Families
• Prioritizing Education for Expectant and Parenting Youth
• Serving Expectant and Parenting Youth and their Families in Rural Communities
• Serving Expectant and Parenting Youth in American Indian Communities 
• Serving Expectant and Parenting Youth Involved with Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
• Using Cross-Sector Partnerships to Provide Wrap-Around Services for Expectant and Parenting Youth and their Families

Case Studies

• Delivering Change and its Community Partners: Cross-Sector Support for Expectant and Parenting Youth in Kansas
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: Serving Expectant and Parenting Youth Involved with Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
• Mississippi State Department of Health: Serving Expectant and Parenting Youth and Their Families in Rural Communities 
• New Mexico Public Education Department: Policy and Systems-Level Approaches to Supporting Expectant and Parenting Youth
• Oregon Health Authority: Prioritizing Education for Expectant and Parenting Youth
• Washington Department of Health: Serving Expectant and Parenting Youth and Their Families in Native American Communities