Promoting Evidence-Informed Practice in Child Welfare in Ontario: Progress, Challenges and Future Directions

Practice and Research Together (PART) is an Ontario-based research utilization initiative, the core function of which is to distil and disseminate practice-relevant research findings to child welfare practitioners. This article addresses (a) the mission and goals of the PART program; (b) the key components of the program design; (c) the conceptual foundations of evidence-informed practice (EIP) as it relates to the program; (d) the successes and challenges of implementation to date; (e) the results of a comprehensive evaluation; and (f) areas for future research and development. Key findings of the formative evaluation include Link PARTners (LPs-organizational representatives) feeling isolated in their role in promoting organizational change; front-line practitioners reporting that they have little time or resources to use the program materials; supervisors stating that they support the concept of EIP but lack the skills and abilities to move these ideas forward; and executive directors are requesting more evidence to promote organizational and systemic change.