Gesundheit Österreich GmbH – Nationales Zentrum Frühe Hilfen
Objectives
The goal of the regional early intervention networks is to provide needs-based support to families facing challenging situations during early childhood. These networks build upon existing services. Family support workers accompany families and ensure they receive the necessary support. The network management team is responsible for establishing and maintaining collaborations within the network. Since the beginning of 2015, regional early intervention networks have been established and expanded in all Austrian regions, in accordance with the Austrian framework developed as part of a foundational project. queraum was commissioned to conduct the evaluation.
Implementation
The chosen mixed-methods approach employs both qualitative and quantitative methods. The evaluation aims to:
- Review the underlying assumptions regarding needs-based service provision in the "Early Intervention Agreement," based on experience and insights gained from the program.
- Assess the short- and medium-term benefits of the program for the families receiving support.
Methodologically, following an analysis of existing documents and secondary data, online surveys of regional networks and online group discussions with program directors and department heads will be conducted. These will be followed by focus groups with family support workers, qualitative interviews with early intervention coordinators, surveys of families whose support has already concluded, and qualitative interviews with families currently receiving support. In addition, follow-up meetings with families will be organized.
The final report summarizes the results of both the quantitative and qualitative analyses.