The Family Development Credential Program: A Synthesis of Outcome Research on an Empowerment-Based Human Service Training Program

Abstract

Movement toward strengths-based, empowerment-oriented practice requires changes in perspective for both practitioners and agencies. A training program addressing those challenges is the Family Development Credential (FDC), implemented in 19 states across the United States since its creation by Cornell University for New York State in 1996. FDC is an inter-agency, locally based professional development program by which human service workers can become more empowered themselves while simultaneously learning knowledge, skills, and values associated with key tenets of empowerment practice. This article provides (a) a description of the programmatic model, (b) analysis of 11 known FDC evaluation studies, (c) synthesis of research findings in 4 outcome areas, and (d) elucidation of a future research agenda for the program including promising theoretical lenses.