Strategies to Improve Youth and Young Adult Study Enrollment
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Associated Project
Building Program Capacity to Support Youth at Risk of Homelessness (YARH): Phases I-III
Prepared for:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
Key Findings
This brief describes the strategies YARH used to boost study enrollment, including:
- Incentives for enrolling and completing surveys
- Intensive engagement with hub staff
- Youth- and young adult-centered approach
- Added counties and hubs
- Modified surveys
- Revised study design
Although enrollment steadily increased over time and exceeded the revised goal, many factors were likely at play during this period. By the end of September 2024, 459 youth and young adults enrolled in the summative evaluation (291 in Pathways and 168 in comparison services).
This brief describes enrollment challenges for the Youth At-Risk of Homelessness (YARH) summative evaluation and highlights the strategies used to improve study enrollment. Understanding these experiences can help program staff, funders, and evaluators proactively implement strategies to successfully enroll youth and young adults in future evaluations or programs.
During the third phase of the YARH (YARH-3) study, youth and young adults enrolled in a federally-led summative evaluation examining the effect of Colorado’s Pathways to Success comprehensive service model (Pathways) and business-as-usual services provided by counties in Colorado through Chafee funding (comparison). Youth and young adults ages 14 and older receiving child welfare services from 17 hubs (nine Pathways and eight comparison) across 48 counties in Colorado enrolled in the summative evaluation from September 2021 through September 2024. However, the study experienced both expected and unexpected challenges to enrolling youth and young adults. In response to these challenges, the study team worked with ACF and hub staff to implement strategies to improve enrollment throughout the 36-month period and reduced the sample size goal from 700 to 416 youth and young adults. Although this was lower than initially hoped for, it still allows the YARH study team to examine the impact of Pathways compared with comparison services.
This brief describes the strategies used to improve enrollment. Readers—including program staff, funders, and evaluators—can draw on these experiences to inform future evaluation efforts.
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