Starfish Family Services Needs Assessment
Starfish Family Services (SFS), headquartered in Inkster, Michigan, is a nonprofit agency that provides services to at-risk young children and their families. SFS’s mission is “strengthening families to create brighter futures for children.” In 2010, SFS asked D3 to conduct an external evaluation of the most pressing needs of families, as well as the services available to address those needs in its 14 community service area.
The Starfish Family Services Needs Assessment includes four parts. First, using a wide range of available data, D3 constructed profiles of the children and families in the 14 communities in order to identify their most pressing needs and pinpoint the geographical areas of greatest need. Second, D3 identified the providers in western Wayne County that offer services addressing these needs. Third, D3 prioritized the community’s needs, taking into consideration both the needs and the availability of services targeting the needs. Fourth, D3 described the implications of the findings for Starfish’s strategic planning.
This evaluation provided Starfish with a roadmap for aligning its programs with the current and longer-term needs of the population in its service area. It has also had a much wider impact: D3 presented the initial community demographic profile at a community forum at the request of Inkster Mayor Hilliard Hampton, and at a Poverty Forum organized by Starfish on November 15.
For further information about the project, please contact Starfish Family Services.
