Measuring the impact of child care policy and practices

How does your organization know if its child care programs and policy initiatives are having a measurable effect or value, particularly in comparison to the cost of doing the program? Nemours Health and Prevention Services (NHPS) set out to consider this question and calculate its value on child care programs and related policy in the state of Delaware.

This session draws upon the specific example where NHPS conducted an analysis of the work of the Child Care Team's programs and policy, specifically with regards to its work to reduce the incidence of children who are overweight, obese, and/or at risk of being so. The content area on the impact of policy practice towards achieving positive public health outcomes is a central component to this presentation.

The analysis itself will also be shared, including discussion of methodology and its implication for program activities. This includes exploring the process of conducting rigorous cost benefit analysis, measuring financial impacts of this work, expressing a return on investment, understanding the financial benefit breakeven point, and suggesting a social return on investment for conducting preventive health programs that seek to change public policy.

The session will conclude by assessing the importance of such investigations, their value for the organization, the benefits for public health initiatives, and how such analysis might continue to be of value for this field.