Chapin Hall

Every year, more than 7 million children are referred to child protection hotlines—yet nearly 6 million of those families receive no services. Many still have unmet needs that, if addressed, could prevent future crises. OPT-In for Families aims to change this trajectory. This initiative, launched by the Doris Duke Foundation in 2023, is testing community-rooted “alternative pathways” that offer material and supportive resources to families screened out of child welfare systems. Chapin Hall is leading a cross-site, three-year formative evaluation to understand how these pathways are designed and implemented—and whether they’re ready for broader testing and sustainable scale. 

OPT-In for Families is underway in pilot sites across the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Oregon, and South Carolina. These jurisdictions are receiving technical assistance to strengthen and test five core components of prevention: 

• Access: Defining a focus population and identifying families with unmet needs. 

• Engagement: Developing and testing outreach strategies, scripts, and follow-up protocols. 

• Navigation: Assisting families in accessing services and supports through resource hubs that provide personalized guidance and coordination. 

• Support: Delivering tailored services and flexible financial support. 

• Codesign: Ensuring family and community voices shape design, governance, and delivery. 

Chapin Hall’s formative evaluation documents how these elements are installed and measured at each site. Our team is examining which strategies foster equitable participation and which approaches help or hinder success. The evaluation will also assess readiness for future outcome and cost-effectiveness studies. 

Chapin Hall is using a mix of quantitative and qualitative participatory methods to evaluate early implementation progress, including interviews, focus groups, community cafés, and reflection tools. These insights will inform national discussions on how to embed prevention within communities in ways that are inclusive, equitable, and impactful. 

As part of the national Community-Based Prevention research agenda, OPT-In addresses two major gaps in available evidence: 

• Community Mobilization: What helps families access and use community-based alternatives to child welfare? 

• Embedding Prevention: How can governance structures and community partnerships make these pathways sustainable? 

Chapin Hall brings decades of experience studying systems change in child and family well-being. Our team combines deep methodological expertise with a commitment to participatory learning and equity. The OPT-In evaluation is led by Dr. Leanne Heaton, a Research Fellow with extensive experience in community-based prevention and system transformation. To learn more about this project or explore partnership opportunities, contact Leanne Heaton.