Improving Process and Providing Measurement Tools for the Early Learning Group

Children of Bellevue (COB) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to initiating, funding and developing special programs, and to acting as an advocate for children and their families within Bellevue Hospital Center. The Early Learning Group (ELG), a program funded by COB, provides a therapeutic, developmentally-based playgroup for parents and children between the ages of six months and three years. Currently, the ELG does not have a formal system in place for measuring the success of the program’s goals and objectives. The Capstone team was assigned the task of helping ELG develop measurement tools to better assess the success of the program. The initial stage of the project included thorough research and complete understanding of the ELG, achieved through multiple on-site visits by Capstone team members. In addition, the team conducted research of best practices of other hospital-based programs and similar goal-oriented non-profit organizations. Through these means, and interviews with child life experts, the Capstone team provided recommendations for the implementation and utilization of measurement and evaluation mechanisms that COB and ELG can use to demonstrate its success in fulfilling its goals.