A new collection of essays by two researchers who were at the heart of the UK’s first outcome-driven child care assessment program shows how far, how fast – and otherwise – the theory and practice of designing children’s services have developed during the past decade.
In the context of children’s services, outcomes are the impact of activities – generally speaking a service or set of services – on children’s development. They often refer to reductions in developmental impairment but may be positive or negative.
Mark Friedman is head of the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute (FPSI) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is best known for his Results-Based Accountability framework, an outcomes-focused agenda which he has taken to 40 US states and many countries worldwide. It is a core part of the UK Every Child Matters policies.
Established in 1963 at Kings College, Cambridge, UK, Dartington Social Research Unit has a long track record of applying evidence to government legislation in the areas of education, youth justice, child welfare and child protection.
Poverty refers to poor living standards owing to deficient resources.
In relation to the attempt to improve children's health or development, effective service designs require clarity of purpose as to the outcomes to be achieved, clear target group criteria, a strong logic model and well defined service components.
Obesity is measured in adults by BMI (Body Mass Index).
social exclusion
Social exclusion refers to the involuntary detachment of an individual from mainstream society, usually as a result of the long-term accumulation of multidimensional disadvantage.