Toward a theory of change in community-based practice with youth: A case-study exploration

Source: (2009) Children and Youth Services Review (2009), doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.07.012.

Community organizations are potentially important mechanisms to support the well-being of children,
youth, and their families in ways that are responsive and appropriate to their particular circumstances and
with reference to the context of the neighborhoods in which they live. They do this, in part, by engaging with
those with whom they seek to work in multiple ways: formally and informally, through a broad range of
intervention strategies, activities, and programs, and by establishing ongoing, day-to-day interactions that
are both flexible and grounded in an understanding of local context, individual needs, and community
circumstances. However, given the complexity and ambiguity of the inputs and the breadth of their intended
outcomes, understanding the impact that such organizations may have is problematic. This paper provides a
brief case-study description in an effort to begin to tease out the inputs, outputs, and expected outcomes in
one particular example of community-based practice. In particular, it seeks to identify and begin to
investigate the range and nature of intermediate outcomes that may be posited to lead to the broader
outcomes at the individual, family, and community level that such organizations often seek to effect. (author’s abstract)