Chapin Hall

Chapin Hall will conduct a formative evaluation of the Connecting Families to Economic Supports (CFES) initiative, designed by Public Policy Lab (PPL) and led by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). The initiative aims to improve how ACS-involved families are connected to public benefits, financial supports, and other economic and concrete resources and supports (ECRS). Chapin Hall will also help integrate a collaborative quality improvement (CoQI) infrastructure to support continuous learning and improvement across participating providers. 

Families involved with the child welfare system often face significant economic hardship. Research shows that poverty, housing instability, and financial stress are closely linked to child welfare involvement and family well-being. Strengthening access to economic supports can reduce these risks and promote long-term stability. Upstream approaches focus on meeting families’ needs earlier—addressing drivers of instability such as economic hardship and lack of access to resources—so families can remain safely together and avoid more intensive system involvement. 

The CFES initiative is designed to develop scalable models for integrating economic and concrete resources and supports into child welfare and juvenile justice services. The goal is to strengthen connections across human services agencies and community-based organizations while helping families access and maintain resources that not only promote financial stability but also create pathways toward economic mobility and long-term opportunity. 

Chapin Hall’s formative evaluation will use a mixed-methods approach, drawing on multiple secondary data sources, including administrative data from ACS and partner agencies, program data from community-based organizations, and qualitative insights collected by PPL from surveys, interviews, and focus groups with families, providers, and agency partners. These data will assess implementation and track outcomes such as increased financial and housing stability, improved access to public benefits and community resources, and reduced child welfare or juvenile justice system involvement. 

A central component of the project is expanding ACS’s Collaborative Quality Improvement (CoQI) framework. To do so, Chapin Hall will support partners in developing data infrastructure, establishing performance benchmarks, and using both qualitative and administrative data to identify challenges, strengthen service delivery, and improve outcomes. 

The CFES initiative is a collaborative effort between NYC ACS, PPL, Chapin Hall, community-based organizations, and city agency partners including the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) Human Resources Administration (HRA). CFES was named the most forward-thinking, breakthrough government projects representing New York State in 2026. The Chapin Hall team includes Principal Investigator Dr. Brian Chor, Dr. Krista Thomas, Yolanda Green-Rogers, Arya Harison, and Prisca Tuyishime.