Evidence-Informed Program Improvement: Using Principles of Effectiveness to Enhance the Quality and Impact of Family-Based Prevention Programs

In recent years, federal, state, and local governments and other funding organizations have increased pressure for greater effectiveness and accountability of prevention programs, including those oriented toward families. This rising demand for program accountability has fueled a growing interest in evidence-based programs. Drawing on what is known about evidence-based prevention programs, we discuss some common principles of effective programs and present a process for how practitioners can use these principles to improve the quality and impact of existing family programs. We term this approach evidence-informed program improvement.