The All in For Youth Initiative: Year 6 Evaluation
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EvalByte<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>All</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>For</strong> <strong>Youth</strong> <strong>Initiative</strong>: <strong>Year</strong> 6<br />
<strong>Evaluation</strong><br />
Written by Jessica Haight (ECN Research Assistant)<br />
What is the context of the project?<br />
One <strong>in</strong> ten people live <strong>in</strong> poverty <strong>in</strong> Edmonton (EPE & ESPC, 2019).<br />
<strong>The</strong> experience of liv<strong>in</strong>g without basic needs be<strong>in</strong>g met, such as<br />
food, hous<strong>in</strong>g, and cloth<strong>in</strong>g, makes it difficult for children to go to<br />
school and learn. <strong>All</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>For</strong> <strong>Youth</strong> (AIFY) is an <strong>in</strong>itiative that<br />
recognizes this issue and removes barriers to success <strong>in</strong> the lives<br />
of children and families by provid<strong>in</strong>g school-based, wraparound<br />
supports to address unmet needs. <strong>The</strong>se supports <strong>in</strong>clude:<br />
Nutrition support<br />
Child and youth mental health therapy<br />
Child mentor<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Child success coach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Out-of-school time programm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
In-home family support services<br />
AIFY started as a pilot program <strong>in</strong> five of the most socially complex<br />
and vulnerable schools <strong>in</strong> Edmonton. After five successful years of<br />
positive impact, AIFY was implemented <strong>in</strong> three additional schools<br />
<strong>in</strong> its 6th year, the 2021-22 school year. S<strong>in</strong>ce its establishment,<br />
AIFY has partnered with the Community-University Partnership for<br />
the Study of Children, <strong>Youth</strong>, and Families (CUP) and the ECN to<br />
design and implement a community-based evaluation of the<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiative.<br />
Key po<strong>in</strong>ts<br />
AIFY PROVIDES SUPPORTS TO<br />
MEET THE DAILY NEEDS OF<br />
VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND<br />
FAMILIES<br />
THE YEAR 6 EVALUATION<br />
FOCUSED ON THE MENTAL<br />
HEALTH OF SCHOOL<br />
COMMUNITIES AND IMPACTS<br />
OF AIFY MORE BROADLY<br />
AIFY ENABLED SCHOOLS TO<br />
MEET STUDENT AND FAMILIES’<br />
NEEDS MORE EFFECTIVELY BY<br />
CREATING A SUPPORT HUB<br />
FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE<br />
POSITIVE IMPACT AND CAN BE<br />
USED TO ADVOCATE FOR<br />
SCALE-UP OF AIFY<br />
April 2023
Who are AIFY partners?<br />
In 2016, community agencies and school divisions<br />
<strong>in</strong> Edmonton acknowledged they could have a<br />
greater impact on the lives of children and families<br />
if they came together <strong>in</strong> partnership. As a result,<br />
ten local partners collaboratively developed AIFY:<br />
the Family Centre, Boys and Girls Club Big Brothers<br />
Big Sisters, e4c, United Way of the Alberta Capital<br />
Region, Edmonton Community Foundation, REACH<br />
Edmonton, Family and Community Support<br />
Services Program (City of Edmonton), Edmonton<br />
Public Schools, Edmonton Catholic School Division,<br />
and the Mental Health Foundation.<br />
What is the project<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g on?<br />
Each year, AIFY completes an evaluation on how<br />
the <strong>in</strong>itiative is support<strong>in</strong>g school communities. We<br />
recently completed the evaluation for year 6 of the<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiative (the 2021-22 school year). Due to effects<br />
of the COVID-19 pandemic, this evaluation was<br />
focused on the mental health of school<br />
communities, as well as the impacts of the AIFY<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiative more broadly.<br />
We completed <strong>in</strong>terviews and focus groups with 52<br />
students, 30 parents and caregivers, and 78 AIFY<br />
agency staff, school staff, and school<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istrators from all eight participat<strong>in</strong>g schools.<br />
In these sessions, stakeholders shared their<br />
perspectives and experiences with AIFY supports<br />
and services. We also collected secondary data<br />
from the agency partners and school divisions.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs are compiled <strong>in</strong> the AIFY <strong>Year</strong> 6 <strong>Evaluation</strong><br />
Report that was recently released. We learned<br />
that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted <strong>in</strong><br />
more and different needs among students and<br />
families. Many families struggled with greater<br />
economic <strong>in</strong>security – unable to meet their food,<br />
hous<strong>in</strong>g, and cloth<strong>in</strong>g needs – as well as mental<br />
health and family challenges. Access to AIFY<br />
staff and supports meant that schools were able<br />
to meet student and families’ complex needs<br />
more efficiently and effectively by creat<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
support hub for families <strong>in</strong> each of the AIFY<br />
schools. <strong>The</strong> process of leverag<strong>in</strong>g shared<br />
resources allows schools and agencies to<br />
produce better outcomes <strong>in</strong> the lives of children<br />
and families.<br />
Why is the project<br />
mean<strong>in</strong>gful?<br />
AIFY partners cont<strong>in</strong>ue to work hard to susta<strong>in</strong><br />
and scale up the AIFY <strong>in</strong>itiative. <strong>The</strong> program<br />
evaluation of AIFY enables us to demonstrate its<br />
positive impacts on the well-be<strong>in</strong>g and security<br />
of children and families. <strong>The</strong>se f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs can be<br />
mobilized to potential partners, funders, and the<br />
government to advocate for <strong>in</strong>creased fund<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
support the expansion of AIFY <strong>in</strong>to other<br />
vulnerable school communities over the com<strong>in</strong>g<br />
years.<br />
Resources<br />
AIFY <strong>Year</strong> 6 <strong>Evaluation</strong> Report<br />
More <strong>in</strong>formation on AIFY<br />
Reference<br />
End Poverty Edmonton & Edmonton Social Plann<strong>in</strong>g Council (2019). A profile of poverty <strong>in</strong> Edmonton. https://www.endpovertyedmonton.ca<br />
/pdfs/ProfilePoverty2019_1Page_Tabloid.pdf<br />
Acknowledgment<br />
Thank you to the AIFY partners for their support and contributions <strong>in</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g the report.<br />
April 2023
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