Helping Families toward the Goal of Self-Support: Montana's EDUFAIM Program

Abstract

This article on a self-reliance education program describes the development, implementation, and elements of success of Educating Families to Achieve Independence in Montana (EDUFAIM) as a model for statewide integration of efforts to help families dependent on public assistance move toward a more self-supporting lifestyle. An overview of the EDUFAIM program, from its beginnings to implementation strategies, open the article, followed by a discussion of the evidence of EDUFAIM's success, including effective collaboration, effective educational materials and teaching strategies, effective evaluation strategies, and effective use of evaluation data. The article concludes with a discussion of program limitations.