Enabling and empowering practices of Kentucky's school-based family resource centers: a multiple case study

Abstract

This paper describes a component of a multimethod evaluation of a statewide school-based Family Resource Center (FRC) program in Kentucky. The FRC program is a multisite statewide initiative consisting of school-based centers that were intended to establish linkages among schools, communities and families; and, to provide or broker wraparound services for families that would enhance children's readiness to learn. The evaluation is a utilization-focused (Utilization-focused evaluation: The new century text 1997) study that employed a multiple case study design to identify and understand family support interventions that enabled and empowered families to access resources on their own behalf and participate in the educational process. Results from the case studies provided a description of coordinators' enabling and empowering interventions and their impact on families. The results also contributed to a Coordinator Training Institute and a Survival Manual for new coordinators.