Center for Policy Research led this study with partners at the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab at the University of Denver and the University of Colorado, School of Medicine. Supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the study developed a sustainable and replicable approach to more accurately estimate the number of youth ages 14-24 experiencing homelessness in Colorado; understand their attachment to major support systems (i.e., education, homeless services, and child welfare); and learn more about the characteristics of youths experiencing homelessness, including the support services they access.
The study pilots novel data linkages by linking administrative data from the homeless services, education, and child welfare systems. The study counts youths known to each of the systems and generates an unduplicated count of youths experiencing homelessness known to one or more of the systems; deduplicate individuals through a rigorous identity resolution process; and examine the overlap of youth across systems. A multisystem estimation process was developed to estimate the number of youths unknown to the homeless services, education, or child welfare systems-providing a new approach to estimating the prevalence of youth homelessness.
CPR incorporates the voices of youth with lived experience throughout the course of the study. The goal is to understand their experiences with homelessness and the systems and surveys that track them, and to identify risk and protective factors associated with homelessness.

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Building a Sustainable & Replicable Approach to Estimating the Prevalence of Youth Homelessness

Funded by Colorado Department of Human Services DVP, CPR works with Colorado&rsquo;s domestic violence program partners to better understand the needs of domestic violence survivors and the network of community-based anti-violence organizations that support domestic violence survivors. CPR&rsquo;s duties include compiling literature reviews and conducting interviews and focus groups with domestic violence program leadership, advocates, and representatives of community organizations to assess best practices and needs in the delivery of services to domestic violence survivors.

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Needs Assessment for the Domestic Violence Program (DVP) of the Colorado Department of Human Services

The <a href="https://www.frpn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fatherhood Research &amp; Practice Network</a> (FRPN) was established through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (grant #90PR0006) to improve the quality and reach of fatherhood research, programming, and policy. Between 2013 and 2019, FRPN supported 21 fatherhood evaluations and research projects as well as small policy-oriented planning grants in 11 states that focused on promoting father engagement, economic stability, coparenting, and the inclusion of fathers in state systems and policies.
Originally co-directed by Jay Fagan (Temple University) and Jessica Pearson (Center for Policy Research), the network produced measurement tools and training media, a suite of research briefs and grantee reports, and resources designed to translate evidence into state- and community-level practice and policy. It also built a national community of researchers and practitioners committed to advancing evidence-informed approaches to fatherhood programs. Reports on each FRPN-funded project are available on the FRPN website. Articles on select projects are featured in <a href="https://www.routledge.com/New-Research-on-Parenting-Programs-for-Low-Income-Fathers/Fagan-Pearson/p/book/9780367363420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Research on Parenting Programs for Low-Income Fathers</a> (2021), edited by Jay Fagan and Jessica Pearson.&nbsp;
Since 2019, CPR directs and continues to advance the core mission of FRPN through curating and sharing new evidence on father engagement, generating new resources and tools, and identifying evidence-informed strategies in the fatherhood field. CPR disseminates the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frpn.org/news/newsletters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FRPN Blueprint</a>, an e-newsletter highlighting the latest fatherhood news, research, and activities. CPR also draws on FRPN connections and resources in their current efforts to identify, examine, and summarize the state-level policies and programs that best support low-income fathers' economic stability and family engagement.

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Fatherhood Research & Practice Network (FRPN)

CPR was contracted by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Services (DCSS), to evaluate a demonstration project funded by the Federal Office of Child Support Services entitled Charting a Course for Economic Mobility and Responsible Parenting. The project aims to develop youth-driven messages about the benefits of education and the importance of delaying parenthood. As part of the project, youth participants developed two short films centered on the project's topics. The short films were then disseminated to at-risk youth through various social media platforms, including Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram. CPR produced three briefs describing the project, including the implementation process and project outcomes.

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Trailbuilding / Life. As Told By Youth

CPR works to highlight federal and state-level policies and programs that affect low-income fathers. Recent work includes Policies and Programs Affecting Fathers: A State-by-State Report (2022), which presents father-supportive policies in 10 areas of public life for the 50 states and the District of Columbia and The $154 Billion Man: The Economic Argument for Investing in Fathers (2025), which examines the 14 federal government assistance programs on single-mother headed households. In 2025, CPR received funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://candid.org/blogs/advancing-gender-equity-by-supporting-boys-and-men/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rise Together</a> and Dr. Richard Reeves, President of the&nbsp;<a href="https://aibm.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Institute for Boys and Men</a>, with underlying support from Melinda French Gates, to continue this work&mdash;identifying  and evaluating the evidence-based policies and programs that help fathers engage positively with their children and achieve economic stability. CPR will spotlight successful state initiatives and provide actionable recommendations to expand father-supportive strategies nationwide. &nbsp;
CPR draws on the connections, resources, and dissemination opportunities available within <a href="https://cpresearch-fe.onrender.com/projects/fatherhood-research-and-practice-network-frpn">FRPN</a> to support these ongoing activities. &nbsp;

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Policies and Programs Affecting Fathers

The Generational Opportunities to Achieve Long-Term Success (GOALS) program provides comprehensive, residentially based services to Arapahoe County families experiencing homelessness. GOALS is a collaboration between the Arapahoe County, Colorado Department of Human Services and Family Tree, a non-profit community service provider.&nbsp; Using a 2Gen framework, GOALS sets out to effectively help families living in poverty gain stable housing, economic security, and family well-being.&nbsp;
CPR conducted both formative and outcome evaluations of the GOALS program. The formative evaluation (phase I) focused on the process of conceiving, planning, launching the program, and the experiences of the first families served. A synthesis of feedback from these residents and key management team advisors on the early phase of program development is provided, concluding with lessons learned from Phase I. The outcomes evaluation (phase II) incorporated a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the GOALS model.&nbsp; Outcomes were tracked and reported twelve- and twenty-four months post program enrollment through interviews and administrative data.&nbsp; Results from the evaluation showed that GOALS achieved positive outcomes for families in the areas of health and wellbeing, education, economic stability, and housing stability.

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Generational Opportunities to Achieve Long-Term Success (GOALS)

The Federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) awarded a five year cooperative agreement to the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) to establish the SAVES Center. CPR makes up the SAVES Center with partners Battered Women&rsquo;s Justice Project (BWJP) and Centre for Public Impact (CPI). The SAVES Center aims to enhance the safe delivery of child support, paternity, and parenting time services to survivors of domestic violence. SAVES Center activities are centered around providing a comprehensive array of technical assistance and training resources for state, tribal, and local child support agency staff, judicial officers, and court staff involved in child support hearings, domestic violence service providers, legal services providers, and other related public and private agencies. Through the establishment of a national clearinghouse at <a href="https://savescenter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">savescenter.org</a>, activities include: compile and maintain a national clearinghouse of promising practices for safe access to child support and parenting time services in states, tribes, and local child support agencies and court systems, and conduct and disseminate national research on domestic violence survivors&rsquo; barriers and needs related to child support and parenting time services.
CPR provides technical assistance and evaluation services to 13 SAVES demonstration projects funded by OCSE (12 states and one tribe), conduct research on the experiences of domestic violence survivors in the child support program, make policy recommendations, and create resources and training for child support professionals nationwide to promote safety and economic security for survivors.

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Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security (SAVES) Center

CPR serves as the evaluator for the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (ACESDV) on their Rape Prevention Education (RPE) grant. The purpose of the RPE program, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is to prevent sexual violence perpetration and victimization by increasing protective factors and decreasing risk factors.
In the first year of the project, CPR conducted a primary prevention capacity assessment to determine AESDV&rsquo;s current capacity to enhance and expand sexual violence prevention work. As the project continues, CPR is supporting ACESDV as they continue to develop infrastructure for sexual violence prevention and implement sexual violence prevention approaches by increasing access to data and evaluating the implementation of the prevention approaches.

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Rape Prevention Education (RPE)

With funding from the Federal Office of Child Support Services, CPR was contracted by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Services (DCSS), to evaluate the Charting a Course for Economic Mobility and Responsible Parenting demonstration project. Native Youth Productions (NYP) involves a collaboration with Denver Indian Family Resource Center (DIFRAC), which included recruiting urban Native youth to engage in a transformational process of learning and creation that culminated in developing a film for their peers, which was distributed during an in-person film premiere and online via a paid social media campaign. The intervention aimed to advance the cultural and community connectedness of participants and youth exposed to the film and help them achieve economic mobility and become responsible parents. CPR will produce three documents describing the project, including the implementation process and project outcomes.

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Native Youth Productions (NYP)

CPR partnered with the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) tribal child support program to evaluate the Charting a Course for Economic Mobility and Responsible Parenting grant, funded by the Federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS). The LCO Good Life Vision aimed to provide Native youth with the opportunity to learn more about culture, history, values, and practices by building a connection to Ojibwe traditions, developing a positive sense of identity, and forming the assets needed to follow the Good Life. The Good Life project brought together the LCO Child Support Program and community partners to preserve, strengthen, and renew Ojibwe values and culture among LCO youth. By providing opportunities to learn about history, values, and practices, the Good Life Vision program built youth&rsquo;s connection to culture, which facilitates learning about and living the Good Life, an important prerequisite to achieving economic mobility and responsible parenting. CPR produced three briefs that describe the project, including the implementation process and project outcomes.

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The Good Life – “Bright Futures for Ojibwe Youth”

The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families received a federal Section 1115 grant from the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) to strengthen equity in the child support program. As a subcontractor to CGI, CPR is supporting this effort by conducting research that helps states better understand how child support policies and practices affect families&mdash;particularly those from communities that have historically faced unequal access to services and opportunities.
As part of this work, CPR is reviewing national research and publications to identify what is known about inequities in child support and what strategies show promise for addressing them. This includes examining how child support programs serve parents across a wide range of experiences and identities, including people of color, LGBTQI+ parents, individuals with disabilities, rural residents, and families affected by persistent poverty.
CPR is also partnering with three states&mdash;California, Michigan, and Minnesota&mdash;to pilot ways administrative data can be used to answer equity-related questions. In California and Michigan, CPR is analyzing how the pass-through of child support payments affects parents who currently or formerly received cash public assistance. In Minnesota, the team is studying how child support policies, such as the failure to modify orders during periods of incarceration, shape the financial stability of parents returning to their communities after release.
By combining a comprehensive review of existing research with new data-driven analysis, this project aims to help states assess disparities, improve access to services, and identify actionable strategies that make child support programs more fair, responsive, and inclusive for all families.

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Advancing Equity in Child Support

CPR serves as the evaluator for the Colorado Rural Collaborative for Runaway and Homeless Youth (RC). The RC is a consortium of agencies that serve youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability in 31 counties across rural Colorado. The RC was formed in 2008 and has continued to expand throughout the years in an effort to serve all regions across the Colorado Balance of State and Northern Colorado Continuums of Care (CoC), and work towards solving rural youth homelessness. CPR leads the evaluation, performance monitoring and continuous quality improvement strategies aimed at preventing homelessness among youth in Colorado&rsquo;s rural communities. CPR&rsquo;s duties include building and maintaining a comprehensive management information system to collect information on youth enrolled in RC programs, document services that are delivered to youth, and assessing youth outcomes. In 2025, RC programs included:
<ul>
<li>The Basic Center Program - Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)</li>
<li>Street outreach Program - Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)</li>
<li>Host Homes Program - Colorado Division of Housing</li>
<li>Pathways Prevention &ndash; Colorado Trust Foundation</li>
</ul>

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Colorado Rural Collaborative for Runaway & Homeless Youth

CPR serves as the evaluator for both the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (ACESDV) and the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (TCEDSV) on their Domestic Violence Prevention Education and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA): Achieving Health Equity Through Addressing Disparities (AHEAD) grants. The DELTA program, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is focused on primary prevention of intimate partner violence. CPR also led TCEDSV&rsquo;s evaluation of DELTA Impact, a prior iteration of the DELTA program, from 2018-2023.
CPR works with the state domestic violence coalitions and their community partners to gather and use reliable data to design, implement, and evaluate community- and state-level policy and program strategies to prevent intimate partner violence. This involves, but is not limited to, the use of online surveys, the facilitation of focus groups with program participants, coordination with State Leadership Teams developed for the project, and regular meetings with project partners for continuous quality improvement.

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Domestic Violence Prevention Education & Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA)

CO Pathways Phase III is the penultimate phase of the Youth At-Risk for Homelessness (YARH) grant which is a national initiative to develop, implement, and test model intervention to prevent and address homelessness among youth aging out of the foster care system. This multiphase grant with funding from the Children&rsquo;s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and in partnership with Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Welfare and Mathematica, CPR is supporting evidence building through a rigorous summative evaluation of the Pathways model intervention. Pathways is an intensive, coach-like case management model for youth and young adults with foster care history at age 14 or older.
CPR serves as the evaluation and technical assistance lead, overseeing Pathways implementation, data collection, and reporting. The summative evaluation is being conducted across the state of Colorado with 37 counties serving youth and young adults in the child welfare (Chafee Program) with half providing Pathways services and half providing business as usual Chafee services.

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Youth-at-Risk-of-Homelessness (YARH): Colorado Pathways

CPR is evaluating the Colorado Improved Payments and Child Success (IMPACS) initiative, a statewide effort designed to help noncustodial parents strengthen their ability to meet child support obligations. Funded by the Colorado Legislature through Federal TANF and State MOE resources, IMPACS provides employment services as well as modest, flexible assistance for essentials like housing and transportation.
Working with the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Services, CPR is studying how the program affects employment, earnings, child support payments, and parent&ndash;child relationships. The initiative began with a group of pilot counties&mdash;including Denver, Weld, Jefferson, Delta, Larimer, and Montrose&mdash;and continues to expand. The evaluation blends data analysis with the voices of parents and staff gathered through interviews and focus groups, offering a textured picture of how IMPACS operates on the ground and how its lessons can support counties statewide.

Projects