The Larry King Center for Building Children’s Futures

1. Laura Y. Clark1, M.A., Ryan P. Kilmer2, Ph.D., James R. Cook2, Ph.D., and Brett A. Loftis1, J.D. 1Council for Children’s Rights, Charlotte, NC 2University of North Carolina at Charlotte The Larry King Center for Building Children’s Futures 1

2. Today’s Presentation • History of Charlotte’s initiatives for children • Roles of the Larry King Center • Selected Accomplishments • Current initiatives & staffing • Evaluation of the LKC • Partnership with UNC Charlotte • Challenges & Opportunities

3. History of Charlotte’s Children’s Initiatives • For nearly three decades, Charlotte has attempted to prioritize children’s needs and create plans to address those needs • Children’s Summits (1980s and 1990s) • Blue Print for Children (late 1990s) • Core Values for Children (2000) • United Agenda for Children (2004) • United Way prioritization process (2007)

4. Past Community Efforts… • Identified core community issues that warrant attention to ensure children are safe, healthy, and educated • Created reports that heightened awareness of children’s issues • Stimulated desire in the community to take action

5. But… They failed to develop the necessary infrastructure to drive change…. • No single point of accountability for developing strategies to change public policy • Disjointed engagement and education of the community about children’s issues • No collection and dissemination of data to help inform decision making • No ‘driver’ for the work to create change at the overall community level

6. Roles of the Larry King Center

7. ‘Connecting the Dots’:Selected Key Objectives • To improve programming and outcomes for children and families, the Center works to • Bridge the science-practice gap by collaborating with providers and researchers • Connect local agencies with research resources • Identify research-based practices to implement locally • Identify systemic issues to target via advocacy and community-building efforts • Use data and evaluation research to inform decisions regarding training, the allocation of funds, community practices, and policy

8. Role Descriptions Strategic planning & convening Research & data Public policy Public awareness/ Community engagement • In-house activities • Support planning process • Internal project manager: Create the plan • External project manager: Provide a draft plan or planning template • Incorporate evidence-based practices in strategies • Keep stakeholders bought in and informed • Work behind the scenes to assure progress, identify obstacles, and provide solutions • Coordinate LKC roles • Support process tracking • Facilitate meetings • Create or manage budget • In-house activities • Build a research repository around children’s issues, including evidence-based practices • Develop community structure and relationships to increase use of research in decision making • Build community capacity for effective program evaluation • Manage evaluation of LKC; ensure reporting to stakeholders • Support planning, policy, and awareness roles with relevant research • In-house activities • Develop annual policy agenda and identify strategies to move agenda forward • Work directly with policymakers to shift legislation and other policies to support LKC activities • Convene stakeholders to speak as one voice to policymakers • Provide policy support to planning activities • In-house activities • Develop relationships with key stakeholders to support work of LKC • Educate and engage community around LKC activities: • Actively participate in existing community forums • Leverage focused partner communications to target key populations • Engage media to influence policymaking • Develop and support community governance structure • Host community forums related to LKC activities

9. Roles of the Larry King CenterExample: Free/Reduced School Lunch Policy Researched the number of children impacted by the problem Utilized media outlets to raise awareness of issue Wrote new school policy to allow students to continue to receive hot lunch Convened group of community partners to address issue

10. Initial Priority Areas • Improve school readiness • Reduce the incidence and impact of child abuse and neglect • Increase access to and utilization of quality health & mental health services

11. Intended Impact & Theory of Change Target population Ultimate goal Approach Intermediate outcomes All youth aged 0-21 in Mecklenburg County Work with community and use research to set community agenda Program quality improves A Mecklenburg County where all children grow up safe, healthy, and educated Shorter-term goals met • Select priorities • Select indicators • Organizations adopt evidence- based practices • Funding shifts to evidence-based practices • Process • Interme-diate indicators Work with community to develop plans to attack each initiative • Plans will encompass four roles: • Policy • Public awareness • Research and evaluation • Strategic planning and convening Longer-term goals met Program mix improves • Priority indicators improve • Funder/ community ROI improves • Citizen awareness of children’s issues increases • Service providers change offerings Drive plan execution • Execute on plans using policy, public awareness, and research and data. Broker in resources where needed • Project manage on three levels • Internally, across all three priority areas • Internally, leading, coordinating, linking 4 roles for each priority • Externally, leading, coordinating, linking work of convened groups Policies change • Government funding shifts • Other policies shift to support priorities 11

12. Current Staffing • Executive Director – 80% of time dedicated to Larry King Center • Director of Research & Evaluation • Director of Strategy & Policy • Strategy & Policy Associate • Nurse-Family Partnership Expansion Coordinator • Graduate Student support • By end of year 3, plan to have 12 FTEs

13. Collaborated with state partners to lobby legislation for the 2009 NC Legislative Session • Responded to over 2 dozen agency requests for assistance with research and evaluation • Completed outcomes training for United Way agencies • Served as local affiliate for Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month • Hosted multiple community forums • Participated in joint human services planning for Housing Authority and Department of Social Services

14. Current Initiatives • Expansion planning for Nurse-Family Partnership • Development of a public policy agenda for priority areas • Community Indicators Project • Evaluation capacity building with several local non-profits

15. Evaluation • Need to evaluate both process and outcomes • Need external evaluator • Skeleton process evaluation is in progress • Overarching objectives of outcome work: • Document the LKC’s value to the community • Demonstrate LKC’s association with better outcomes for children • One challenge: limited extant research on intermediaries

16. Partnership with UNC Charlotte • University faculty - partners/collaborators in multiple departments (psychology, social work, education, public policy) • Opportunities for interns • Research committee • Helps inform and guide decision-making • Brings additional expertise to the complex issues involved

17. Partnership with UNC Charlotte - II • Urban Institute • Indicators project • Institute for Social Capital • Creating a database that can be used to inform the LKC

18. Challenges & Opportunities • Balancing long-term planning with immediate community needs (e.g., projects vs. mission) • Evaluating our progress • Developing the community relationships necessary to sustain change • Communicating our work clearly to stakeholders • Sustainable funding

19. Contact Us Laura Y. Clark, M.A. Laura@cfcrights.org Ryan P. Kilmer, Ph.D. rpkilmer@uncc.edu Jim Cook, Ph.D. jcook@uncc.edu Brett A. Loftis, J.D. Brett@cfcrights.org