HEALTHY KIDS PROGRAM
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
SELF-ASSESSMENT (HKPQISA)
The purpose of the Healthy Kids Program Quality Improvement Self-Assessment Tool is to gauge a program’s ability to integrate the seven quality indicators including safety, supportive relationships, meaningful youth involvement, skill building, community involvement, appropriate structure, and positive social norms.
Out-of-school time (OST) programs that integrate these seven quality indicators are better positioned to cultivate positive outcomes for children and youth and sustain their programs in the long-term. The results from this self-assessment will help programs monitor each quality indicator and understand how the positive youth development approach can continue to be incorporated into their OST program.
All OST programs across the region are invited to complete this online survey. Results of the survey will be available upon completion of the survey. Programs are encouraged to use the results to inform decisions related to program improvement, strategic planning, and program monitoring. The United Way of El Paso County is available to provide technical assistance if needed.
The survey will be open from November 20, 2023 to December 31, 2023 for OST programming implemented during the last school year (Aug. 2022-Aug. 2023) including summer programming.
7 CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITY PROGRAMS
1. APPROPRIATE
STRUCTURE
Limit setting, clear and consistent rules and expectations, firm-enough control, continuity and predictability, clear boundaries, and age appropriate monitoring.
2. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Concordance, coordination, and synergy among family, school, and community
3. POSITIVE SOCIAL NORMS
Rules of behavior, expectations, injunctions, ways of doing things, values and morals, and obligations for service.
4. PHYSICAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
Safe and health-promoting facilities and practices that increase safe peer group interaction and decrease unsafe or confrontational peer interactions.
5. OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SKILL BUILDING
Opportunities to learn physical, intellectual, psychological, emotional, and social skills; exposure to intentional learning experiences; opportunities to learn cultural literacy, media literacy, communication skills, and good habits of mind; preparation for adult employment; and opportunities to develop social and cultural capital.
6. SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
Warmth, closeness, connectedness, good communication, caring, support, guidance, secure attachment, and responsiveness.
7. YOUTH
INVOLVEMENT
Youth-based, empowerment practices that support autonomy, making a real difference in one’s community, and being taken seriously; practices that include enabling, responsibility granting, and meaningful challenge; and practices that focus on improvement rather than on relative current performance levels
This assessment was developed by United Way of El Paso County, in collaboration with the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. If you have any questions about the content of the assessment or need technical assistance related to the quality indicators, please contact Enrique Garcia at egarcia@unitedwayelpaso.org. If you have any issues completing the assessment, such as the website not working or you did not receive an email with your findings, contact Christopher C. Villa at christopher.villa@gmail.com.
The Paso del Norte Health Foundation may support one or more of your OST programs. Please be aware that your results of this self-assessment will not affect current or future funding opportunities. Results of all self-assessments will be shared with the United Way of El Paso County and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation to inform capacity building and technical assistance opportunities and inform strategic planning for the BOOST Network and Healthy Kids Initiative.
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For more information, please contact Enrique Garcia at egarcia@unitedwayelpaso.org.