Integrating Family Support Services into Schools: Lessons from the Elev8 Initiative

As part of a national initiative called Elev8, Atlantic Philanthropies provided funds to community organizations to work with five Chicago schools to provide a wide range of programs and economic services to families. A multi-year evaluation of the initiative found a small group of parents who used the economic support services felt that they helped improve their family’s financial well-being. However, difficulties coordinating efforts between schools and community organizations as well as parents’ concerns about sharing their private information within the school setting limited the program’s integration into the schools and parent participation in the services offered.