Tool 1-1. Community Needs Assessment
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Outcome
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Measures chosen
(pick several from list
in each category)
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Data
sources
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Rate of selected measures in my community
(note years)
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Rate of selected measures in my comparison:
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How did the community do relative to the comparison?
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Priority
(enter high, medium,
or low)
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Year 1:
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Year 2:
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Year 3:
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Demographic measures (not an outcome)
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- Number of children under 5 years of age
- Number and % of people in poverty
- Number of children under age 5 in poverty
- % of children in single-parent families
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Child development and school readiness
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- Child scores on measures of cognitive development, such as the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test or the Woodcock-Johnson assessments
- % of homes with a positive home learning environment
- Preschool participation rate
- Measures of elementary school academic achievement; for example, test scores
- Rate of grade retention
- Rate of high school graduation
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Child health
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- Rate of low birth weight
- Rate of preterm birth
- Rate of infant mortality
- Child scores on mental health and physical health survey scales
- Infant sleep environment
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Family economic self-sufficiency
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- % of parents in education or training
- % of parents with high school diploma/GED
- % of parents employed
- Hours per week of parent employment
- % of parents receiving food stamps
- % of parents with income above poverty line
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Linkages and referrals
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- % of families referred to services (housing assistance, Medicaid, job skills training)
- % of desired services that were received
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Maternal health
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- Maternal scores on mental health survey scales and physical health survey scales
- % of mothers with access to/use of prenatal health care
- Rate of low birth weight
- Rate of preterm birth
- % of mothers who smoke
- % of mothers who use illegal substances
- % of mothers with access to/use of contraceptives
- % of mothers with adequate social support
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Positive parenting practices
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- % of parents who read to child daily
- Reading frequency
- Scores on environmental ratings scales, such as the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) scale
- Percentage of parents using harsh parenting strategies
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Child maltreatment
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- Family involvement with Child Protective Services (CPS)
- Number confirmed cases of child maltreatment per 1,000 children
- % of children who have ever had injury needing medical care
- % of parents using harsh parenting strategies
- % of children hospitalized for trauma
- % of children hospitalized for ambulatory care
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Juvenile Delinquency, Family Violence, and Crime
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- % of families with restraining orders
- % of families referred to family court
- Number of arrests, convictions, and days in jail for family members
- Rates of children or adolescents sent to youth corrections
- % of families with any domestic violence
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NOTE: Not all measures listed in this table will be available at the community level for all communities.
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