Kinship Navigator Programs (KNPs) were developed to help kinship caregivers learn about, find, and use programs and services. These programs also partner with public and private agencies to serve kinship caregivers and families. KNPs are unique because they do not necessarily provide direct services to kinship families. This can make it hard to define the KNP and evaluate how effective it is at helping them. To date, KNPs haven’t shown they are effective using rigorous evaluation. Without this evidence, KNPs can’t ensure that their services support the well-being of kinship caregivers and families. To define the model and prepare for rigorous evaluation, KNPs should develop a strong theory of change and logic model. This guide helps program developers and evaluators write a theory of change and develop a logic model for their KNPs.
Key Findings and Highlights
Though writing a theory of change and logic model may seem challenging, this guide can help make the process easier. In this guide, we describe
- four steps to follow when writing a theory of change,
- how the theory of change can be used to create a logic model, and
- how to test the theory of change and logic model through program evaluation.
Recommendations
KNP program developers and evaluators should have a theory of change and logic model before they evaluate their program. We recommend that developers and evaluators of KNPs use this guide to write their own theory of change and logic model that match their target population and local context. Developers and evaluators should continue to make changes to the theory of change and logic model as the program is evaluated and they learn more about what works or should be improved.
This resource is part of the Roadmaps to Building Evidence in Child Welfare series—a collection of instructional resources about conducting child welfare evaluations. You can find more practical guidance on data, evaluation, and evidence in the child welfare field from CWEST in materials from the Child Welfare Evidence Building Academy, a program of trainings for child welfare agency staff, practitioners, and evaluators.
