International Food Security at Illinois Symposium February 10, 2015 Barbara H. Fiese, PhD Director, Family Resiliency Center Department of Human and Community.

Internat ional Food Secur i ty at I l l ino is Symposium

February 10, 2015

Barbara H. Fiese, PhDDirector , Fami ly Resi l iency Center

Department of Human and Community Development

Univers i ty of I l l ino is at Urbana-Champaign

PROGRAM EVALUATION HOUSEHOLD FOOD

INSECURITY: FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

PERSPECTIVES

A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO FOOD AND FAMILY

Any given meal is embedded in complex systems of individual

characterist ics, family dynamics, access to food, regulations, and cultural tradit ions

Fiese & Jones (2012). Food and Family: A Socio-ecological Perspective for Child Development. Advances in Child Development and Behavior.

Strength Based Approach To AssessmentWhat do families and communities need to get better

access to food to live a healthy lifestyle?What are the barriers to access?What are potential solutions?How can communities support families to get better

access to food and other assets to move from food insecurity to food security?

Mixed-method approach In depth interviews with key stakeholdersSurveysGIS Mapping

COMMUNITY AND FAMILY CENTERED APPROACH TO PROGRAM EVALUATION IN FOOD

SECURITY

THREE EXAMPLES

BackPack EvaluationDecatur Community EvaluationSummer and At Risk After School Feeding Programs

BACKPACK EVALUATION

In col laboration with Brenda Koester, Craig Gundersen, and the Eastern I l l inois Food BankFunded by Christopher Family Foundation and Feeding AmericaLongitudinal Surveys of 300 famil ies across school yearIn depth interviews of 60 famil iesSchool attendanceComparison group of chi ldren el igible for program but not enrol led due to l imited resources

Modest but significant eff ect on school attendance on Fridays

Program is a family program- food used to extend family meals

Findings aff ected national food bank policies to create food pantries at schools where food is more accessible to families

PROGRAM IMPACT

FOOD SECURITY NEEDS IN DECATUR

Funded by Feeding America and Howard Buffet FoundationIn depth interviews with 28 key stakeholdersMap the Meal Gap Census Track Data and Food Pantry Locations

STAKEHOLDERS

Agency Type Relation to Hunger/Food Insecurity

Food Bank Non Profit Food Pantry

Non Profit- Community Agency (e.g., YMCA, Boys and Girls Club)

At Risk After School Program, Summer Food Service Program

Non Profit Religious Organization Soup Kitchen

Healthcare Organization Women Infants and Children, Refer to Food Pantries

Public Schools At Risk After School Program, Summer Food Service Program

Funders Fundraising for community around hunger issues

Consensus among stakeholders about increasing needConsensus about need for central location for shared

programming and increasing access to healthy foodBarriers identified – transportation, poor education

system, lack of technical jobs in area, and coordinated leadership across community

Recommendations- coordinated leadership team central food warehouse closer to food banks in area increased refrigeration for small pantries increase SNAP enrollment conduct community wide needs assessment to address

transportation, education and work force issues

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

SUMMER AND AT RISK AFTER SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM

EVALUATION

Funded Through Walmart Foundation

In collaboration with Brenda Koester, Craig Gundersen

Hannah Habeeb Project Coordinator

ProgramsSummer Food Service Program

At Risk After School Program

OrganizationsYMCA of USANational League of Cities

Texas Hunger Initiative

TWO PROGRAMS- 3 ORGANIZATIONS

Social Proces

ses

•Norms•Relationships•Participation in Activities

Resources

•Human•Physical•Economic•Temporal

Organization of

Resources

•Social Organization•Physical Organization•Economic Organization•Temporal Organization

Program Quality Implementation1. Capacity

Assessment and Buy-in

2. Capacity Building and Team Evaluations

3. Technical Assistance and Supervision

4. Future planning and needs assessment

PROGRAM EVALUATION FRAMEWORK

Tseng & Seidman 2007

Programs often initially led by a single champion who then establishes relationships with other partners

Available of resources often tied to personal relationships

Organization of resources is often linked to larger organizational values

Programming elements (e.g., after school academics, summer physical activity) not connected to food per se are essential to success of increasing enrollment in programs

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Program evaluations in food insecurity should be driven by community needs

Mixed method and multi-pronged approach provides a comprehensive and in-depth view of many faces of hunger

Lessons learned in domestic food security can be applied internationally recognizing that domestic issues are not equivalent to international issues

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

THANK YOU!