Tool 1-1. Community Needs Assessment

Outcome / Measures chosen
(pick several from list
in each category) / Datasources / Rate of selected measures inmy community / Rate of
selectedmeasures
in my comparison: / How did the
community dorelative to the comparison? / Priority
(enter high,medium,or low)
Year 1: / Year 2: / Year 3:
Demographic
measures (notan outcome) /
  • Number of children under 5years of age
  • Number and % of people inpoverty
  • Number of children underage 5 in poverty
  • % of children in single-parent families

Child
developmentand schoolreadiness /
  • Child scores on measuresof cognitive development,such as the PeabodyPicture Vocabulary Testor the Woodcock-Johnsonassessments
  • % of homes with apositive home learningenvironment
  • Preschool participation rate
  • Measures of elementaryschool academicachievement; for example,test scores
  • Rate of grade retention
  • Rate of high schoolgraduation

Child health /
  • Rate of low birth weight
  • Rate of preterm birth
  • Rate of infant mortality
  • Child scores on mentalhealth and physical healthsurvey scales
  • Infant sleep environment

Family
economic
self-sufficiency /
  • % of parents in educationor training
  • % of parents with highschool diploma/GED
  • % of parents employed
  • Hours per week of parentemployment
  • % of parents receiving foodstamps
  • % of parents with incomeabove poverty line

Linkages andreferrals /
  • % of families referredto services (housingassistance, Medicaid, jobskills training)
  • % of desired services thatwere received

Maternal health /
  • Maternal scores on mentalhealth survey scales andphysical health surveyscales
  • % of mothers with accessto/use of prenatal healthcare
  • Rate of low birth weight
  • Rate of preterm birth
  • % of mothers who smoke
  • % of mothers who useillegal substances
  • % of mothers with accessto/use of contraceptives
  • % of mothers withadequate social support

Positive
parentingpractices /
  • % of parents who read tochild daily
  • Reading frequency
  • Scores on environmentalratings scales, such asthe Home Observationfor Measurement of theEnvironment (HOME) scale
  • Percentage of parentsusing harsh parentingstrategies

Child
maltreatment /
  • Family involvement withChild Protective Services(CPS)
  • Number confirmed casesof child maltreatment per1,000 children
  • % of children who have ever had injury needingmedical care
  • % of parents using harshparenting strategies
  • % of children hospitalizedfor trauma
  • % of children hospitalizedfor ambulatory care

Juveniledelinquency,family violence,and crime /
  • % of families withrestraining orders
  • % of families referred to family court
  • Number of arrests,convictions, and days in jailfor family members
  • Rates of children oradolescents sent to youthcorrections
  • % of families with anydomestic violence

NOTE: Not all measures listed in this table will be available at the community level for all communities.