About the RPG National Cross-Site Evaluation

Substance use has deep, long-lasting effects on families and children. To address the growing crisis of substance use in communities across the United States, since 2006, Congress has authorized funding for discretionary grants to improve the well-being, permanency, and safety outcomes for children at risk of, or in, out-of-home placement because of caregivers’ substance use. In response to this authorization, the Children’s Bureau (CB) launched a competitive grant program titled Target Grants to Increase the Well-Being of, and to Improve the Permanency Outcomes for, Children Affected by Methamphetamine or Other Substance Abuse, also called Regional Partnership Grants (RPG). Reauthorized most recently in 2022, these grants are designed to support partnerships among child welfare agencies, substance use treatment providers, and other social service systems. 

To evaluate the overall RPG program and to satisfy the legislative mandate for performance measurement, CB has funded a national cross-site evaluation since 2012. The cross-site evaluation aims to understand: 

1. how partnerships operate, including how partners work together to serve families in their community; 
2. the characteristics of families who seek-out services; 
3. the types of services families receive; 
4. how RPG projects plan to sustain services after the grant period; 
5. the changes in outcomes for children, adults, and families who participate in RPG projects; 
6. the impacts of RPG projects on children, adults, and families.

The cross-site evaluation also includes evaluation-related technical assistance for RPG projects to support their data collection, performance measurement, and program improvement efforts.

Children's Bureau

The Children’s Bureau (CB) is an office within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CB aims to improve the lives of children and families by supporting programs that reduce child abuse and neglect, increase the number of adoptions, and strengthen foster care. The office awards funding to RPG projects across the country to increase well-being, improve permanency, and enhance the safety of children who are in, or at risk of, an out-of-home placement as a result of a parent’s or caregiver’s substance use. CB awarded funding to Mathematica to lead the national cross-site evaluation and evaluation-related technical assistance for RPG projects. CB also awarded funding to the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) to provide programmatic technical assistance to RPG projects.

Mathematica

Mathematica is a research and data analytics firm driven by a mission to improve public well-being. The firm’s more than 1,500 experts collaborate closely with public and private-sector clients to improve programs, refine strategies, and enhance understanding. Mathematica has led the design and execution of the RPG cross-site evaluation since it began in 2012. In addition to describing the performance of the RPG grant program as a whole, Mathematica staff also provide evaluation-related technical assistance to each RPG project to support their data collection and local evaluation efforts.

WRMA

WRMA Inc. is a certified small business that has provided dedicated support to health and human service agencies for more than 40 years. Since 2012, WRMA has partnered with Mathematica to develop and maintain the web-based platforms used to collect data about RPG projects’ enrollment, the services projects provide, and outcomes for children, adults, and families.

Project Leadership

Children’s Bureau

• Elaine Voces Stedt, Director, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect
• Tara Mainero, Child Welfare Program Specialist

Mathematica

• Angela D’Angelo, Project Director for RPG7
• Juliette Henke, Project Director for RPG5 and RPG6
• Betsy Keating, Deputy Project Director for RPG5, RPG6, and RPG7

WRMA

• Sunil Leelaram, Task Lead for IT Requirements for RPG6 and RPG7