Making the Case for Evaluation Partnerships in Child Protection Mediation Programs: Insights from a Case Study By Valerie Bryan, Crystal Collins-Camargo, Natasha Anderson, and Courtenay Kantar ABSTRACT Many jurisdictions have instituted child protection mediation programs (CPM) for the purposes of reducing the length of children’s stays in out-of-home care and decreasing court system burden, and numerous studies have shown promising results. However, important implementation and sustainability problems persist. This article presents a case study’s findings and retrospectively interprets underlying reasons for challenges the program faced in implementation. Study implications call for a more structured planning process, includ- ing early partnership with experienced court-based evaluators to develop successful mar- keting and recruitment strategies that may encourage stakeholder endorsement and foster sustainability. INTRODUCTION It is well known that children who suffer abuse and neglect, followed by prolonged out-of-home care (OOHC), experience poorer outcomes than other children in a variety of psychosocial and behavioral functioning areas, including school performance and school atten- dance (Barth, 1990; Reilly, 2003); unemployment (Hughes et al., 2008; Reilly, 2003); and involvement in crime, violence, prostitution, and drug and alcohol misuse (Brandford & English, 2004; Pecora et al., 2005; Ravindra, 2002; Stott & Gustavsson, 2010). Youth who age out of foster care are more likely than other youth to be arrested (Courtney et al., 2005; Singer, 2006); to experience housing instability or homelessness (Barth, 1990; Pecora et al., 2005); and to suffer mental health problems (Brandford & English, 2004; Pecora et al., 2005). Those Valerie Bryan, MSW, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Social Work in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. She conducts research involving child welfare systems, juvenile justice issues, and substance abuse interventions. Correspondence: vbryan@usouthal.edu Crystal Collins-Camargo, MSW, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work. She conducts research in child welfare and juvenile court topics and teaches graduate-level social policy. Natasha Anderson, MSW, is the Memory Care Program Facilitator at the Spring Mill Meadows Skilled Nursing Facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. Courtenay Kantar, MSW, CSW, is a social worker for Hospice of the Bluegrass in Frankfort, Kentucky. Juvenile and Family Court Journal 62, no. 2 (Spring) 35 © 2011 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges