Wyoming/Montana Dual State Kinship Navigator Program Evaluation - The Montana and Wyoming Kinship Navigator Project is a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen and stabilize kinship families through a comprehensive, evidence-informed KNP serving rural and frontier communities across both states. Together, Montana and Wyoming are home to approximately 30,861 kinship caregivers who have stepped forward to provide safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children when their parents are unable to care for them. Many of these caregivers assume their role unexpectedly and face significant financial, legal, behavioral health, educational, and social challenges while navigating complex systems with limited support and resources. The project will provide a statewide continuum of trauma-informed, family-centered services consistent with Section 427 of the Social Security Act, including information and referral, individualized case management, caregiver assessment, service planning, benefits navigation, caregiver education, peer support, advocacy, follow-up services, and connections to community resources. Services will be tailored to each family's strengths and needs through a tiered service model, ensuring caregivers receive the appropriate level of support while promoting family stability, caregiver well-being, and positive outcomes for children. The project places particular emphasis on addressing barriers experienced by families living in rural and frontier communities, where geographic isolation, workforce shortages, and limited access to specialized services often hinder timely support. Strong partnerships with child welfare agencies, healthcare providers, schools, legal service organizations, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders will ensure coordinated service delivery and increase access to essential resources throughout both states. In alignment with Section 474(a)(7) of the Social Security Act, the project will continue implementing a rigorous evaluation designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the KNP. Standardized implementation measures, fidelity monitoring, caregiver and child outcome assessments, client feedback, and continuous quality improvement activities will be used to evaluate program effectiveness and strengthen service delivery. Evaluation findings will contribute to the growing national evidence base for KNPs and support continued advancement of evidence-based practices under Title IV-E. Both Wyoming and Montana participate in the Home for Every Child initiative, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening community partnerships that support children and families. This common foundation provides a supportive context for evaluating kinship navigator services and identifying opportunities to enhance outcomes for kinship caregivers and the children they serve. By combining comprehensive navigation services, strong community partnerships, high-fidelity implementation, and rigorous evaluation, the Montana and Wyoming KNP Project Evaluation will improve access to services, strengthen caregiver capacity, enhance child safety and well-being, increase placement stability, and help children remain safely connected to their families and communities whenever possible. The project will also provide valuable evidence to inform Kinship Navigator implementation in rural and frontier states across the nation.
