ABSTRACT
Minnesota Early Learning Design’s (MELD) —The Minnesota Early Learning Design—began in 1973 as an inquiry into ways in which families might be strengthened. Each MELD site maintains an ongoing but autonomous relationship with MELD's central office, which provides technical assistance and new program materials. Despite the fact that our volunteer facilitators were trained in the purpose and implementation of the evaluation design and had pledged their commitment to completing forms and executing evaluation responsibilities, they did not perform their evaluation duties. The first was that it is extremely difficult to conduct a valid outcome evaluation of a program in its phase of self-definition and development. The attitude of many staff, facilitators, and site coordinators is that true program evaluation occurs during direct service; they observe problems and develop solutions as they occur. The New Parents Project, is being conducted by the Department of Child Development and Family Studies at Purdue University.
