American University Report: One Can Help and the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH
What is One Can Help’s role in the journey of underserved children and families through the juvenile court and child welfare systems? This qualitative research study sought to answer this question through data from One Can Help’s applications and outcome surveys as well as interviews and focus group discussions with clients – the social workers and attorneys who apply for their assistance – and one of OCH’s past beneficiaries. Research was conducted by Jess Littman of American University and Understanding Impact.
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Qualitative Overview .
FINDINGS FROM A QUALITATIVE STUDY
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American University Report .
BU Report: One Can Help and Financial Savings for the State
INTRODUCTION
A Boston University student led/faculty advised group recently analyzed One Can Help’s 2017 data and concluded that not only does this innovative approach reduce the need for foster care, keep more families together, help families avoid homelessness, and support vulnerable children, it also likely helped saved the state between 9.4 and 11.4 million dollars in one year alone.
Below we present highlights from the report.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The BU evaluation group 180 Degrees performed multiple cost-benefit analyses of taxpayer savings resulting from One Can Help (OCH)’s services, resources, and interventions.
- To conduct the analysis the group used OCH’s outcomes survey, application data for 2017, and a wide array of additional research.
- They estimated that OCH saved the state and its taxpayers between $9.4M and $11.4M in one year alone through benefits for foster care, the court system, and other services.
- Foster care: OCH’s interventions, including returning children from foster care sooner to their homes or keeping them out of foster care altogether, saved the state an estimated $6.8M during the year.
- The court system: OCH’s efforts to provide “meaningful access to justice” decrease the amount of time many cases need to be in court. Based on hourly court costs of $857 in professional time for lawyers, judges, social workers, this saved the state an estimated $2.0M to $4.0M.
- OCH’s other services – preventing homelessness; alleviating the cost of childcare; improving mental health; forestalling the need for institutional care; preventing “at-risk” teens from re-entering the court system; and preventing school dropout – saved the state an estimated $0.6M.
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