Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, 310 S. Grand Ave, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
College of Public Health University of Iowa, 145 N. Riverside Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA.
Matern Child Health J. 2020 Sep;24(Suppl 2):152-162. doi: 10.1007/s10995-020-02879-6.
Expectant and parenting students (EPS) at community colleges are an underserved and often under-resourced group. In a rural, Midwestern state, the department of public health was awarded the Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) grant to assist this population. This paper outlines the results of the implementation evaluation and offers suggestions for programs and evaluators working with this population in the community college setting.
We conducted a multicomponent evaluation utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods. Evaluation activities included tracking activities/services, surveys and interviews with participants, and interviews with community college staff implementing grant activities. The research team calculated frequencies for quantitative data and coded qualitative data for themes.
Data from the community colleges and students' self-reports revealed that EPS most commonly received concrete support from the program, often in the form of stipends or gift cards. Students reported that concrete support was beneficial and helped to relieve financial stress during the semester. Students' major barriers to participation were lack of knowledge about the program and busy schedules that prevented them from accessing PAF services. Staff reported that difficulty identifying EPS and the short one-year project period were major implementation challenges.
We recommend that community colleges work to identify EPS, use fellow EPS to recruit program participants, and implement programming that works with the students' schedules.
社区学院的孕妇和育儿学生（EPS）是一个服务不足且资源往往匮乏的群体。在一个中西部的农村州，公共卫生部获得了怀孕援助基金（PAF）拨款，以帮助这一人群。本文概述了实施评估的结果，并为在社区学院环境中为这一人群提供服务的项目和评估人员提供了建议。
我们采用了多种方法进行综合评估，包括跟踪活动/服务、对参与者进行调查和访谈，以及对实施赠款活动的社区学院工作人员进行访谈。研究小组对定量数据进行了频数计算，并对定性数据进行了主题编码。
来自社区学院和学生自我报告的数据显示，EPS 最常从该计划中获得具体支持，通常以津贴或礼品卡的形式提供。学生们报告说，具体的支持是有益的，可以帮助他们在学期中缓解经济压力。学生参与的主要障碍是对该计划缺乏了解，以及繁忙的日程安排使他们无法获得 PAF 服务。工作人员报告说，难以确定 EPS 以及为期一年的项目期限短是实施过程中的主要挑战。
我们建议社区学院努力确定 EPS，利用其他 EPS 来招募项目参与者，并实施与学生日程相配合的计划。
