7. Investing in What Works through Direct Services

7.1: The state directly administers evidence-based interventions using state dollars, formula funds, or federal dollars (that don’t already require evidence) Greater of: A) 1 point for every $200 million spent through direct interventions that define and prioritize evidence or B) 1 point for every 5 direct intervention programs that define and prioritize evidence. The calculation period runs from January 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024.

7.2: The state has a policy (law, administrative rule or guidance, executive order, etc) that requires all economic mobility agencies to, wherever practicable, deliver programs in a way that addresses the needs of people who are experiencing unfavorable outcomes.

Minnesota

Leading Example

In FY 24-25 Minnesota invested $2.68 billion in new evidence-based programs and policies focused on children and families, early education, K-12 education, health, and human services. Minnesota considers evidence-based programs to be activities that have been found to produce favorable outcomes by at least one impact evaluation that uses experimental or quasi-experimental design so that any impact found can be attributed to the studied activity.

The largest investment, over $893 million, was in a new child tax credit. Beginning with 2023 taxes, individuals may qualify for a Child Tax Credit of $1,750 per qualifying child, with no limit on the number of children claimed. The credit gradually phases out if your income is over $29,500 ($35,000 for Married Filing Jointly). Many of the new investments were for education, including over $252 million in Early Learning Scholarships and over $387 million for Universal School Meals.

Promising Examples

Arizona

The Arizona Department of Child Safety Administers the evidence-based Healthy Families Home Visiting Program. This is a voluntary program that promotes prevention of child welfare concerns through education and home visits. Other Evidence-based services include H20, Kinship Support Services, and the Homeless Youth Intervention.

Colorado

From the Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, prioritizing early literacy proficiency, to the Nurse-Family Partnership providing vital support for first-time parents, Colorado has invested $1.7B since January 2021 across 20 evidence-based direct services that address specific community needs with targeted interventions. Bolstered by legislative mandates and evidence-based approaches, such as the Colorado Works Subsidized Training and Employment Program, designed to empower TANF recipients, these programs collectively reflect Colorado’s commitment to evidence-based interventions.

Connecticut

A 2015 Connecticut law defines three tiers of evidence for programs operated by the Connecticut Departments of Correction, Children and Families, and Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch: evidence-based, research-based, and promising. The law requires these agencies to categorize their programs by the evidence tiers in even-numbered fiscal years. Additionally, the law charges the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at University of Connecticut with submitting an annual report containing a cost-benefit analysis of the programs. In 2020, the report entitled Benefit-Cost Analyses of Evidence-Based Programs showed that 108 programs and services administered by the Judicial Branch’s Court Support Services Division and the Department of Correction were identified as evidence-based.

Maryland

Various programs and their cited evidence are included in Maryland’s 2024 State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Annual Performance Report that can be found on the Maryland Department of Budget and Management’s website.

Michigan

In 2012, Michigan passed Act 291, requiring the state departments of Community Health, Human Services, and Education to allocate funding to home visiting programs that have strong evidence of effectiveness. The law specifies that two categories of programs are eligible for funding: evidence-based programs—those that are supported by rigorous research and have clear designs and implementation standards—and promising programs. To be eligible for continued funding, promising programs are required to undergo an evaluation of their effectiveness. Because effective implementation plays a critical role in achieving expected outcomes, all programs are required to maintain fidelity with key elements of their designs. $7,969,022 was allocated for evidence-based home visiting programs in fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

New Jersey

New Jersey implements several evidence-based direct services across different state agencies:

Child Protection and Permanency (Department of Children and Families) uses Solution Based Casework, an evidence-based model, to improve child welfare through enhanced engagement and assessment techniques, training about 5,000 staff. The program has received $313.5 million in funding.
Preschool Education Aid (Department of Education) offers high-quality, evidence-based pre-K programs to enhance Kindergarten readiness and long-term academic achievement. These programs must meet state learning standards and have received $1.1 billion in funding.
ARRIVE Together (Department of Law and Public Safety) pairs law enforcement officers with mental health screeners to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The program has been funded with $10.5 million.

These programs are grounded in research and best practices to deliver impactful services.

New Mexico

New Mexico delivers several evidence-based services to improve family and youth outcomes:

Residential Drug Abuse Treatment (Corrections Department) offers nonpunitive rehabilitation for youth, providing behavioral health services near families. The program has served over 6,000 families, with 4,200 receiving evidence-based care, funded at $20.2 million.
Missouri Model (Children, Youth, and Families Department) rehabilitates youth by focusing on family proximity and behavioral health services, funded at $298 million.
Home Visiting Programs (Early Childhood Education and Care Department): These include:
- Nurse Family Partnership for low-income families, funded at $3.2 million.
- Parents as Teachers, peer home visits for children up to age 5, funded at $33 million.
- Family Connects, universal nurse home visits after childbirth, funded at $1.5 million.
- First Born, support for first-time parents from prenatal to age 3, funded at $10.9 million.
PreKindergarten, an extra year of learning before Kindergarten, funded at $291.9 million.

These programs are supported by research and aim to enhance rehabilitation and early childhood development.

New York

Beginning in 2013, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services developed a cost-benefit analysis, based on an initial technical report, to outline the impact, costs, and benefits of specific criminal justice interventions. As a result of these efforts, New York has continued to operate Alternatives to Incarceration and Re-entry programs, a $43 million initiative in 2023-2024, to support evidence-based interventions.

Governor Kathy Hochul allocated $75 million to the State University of New York (SUNY) Transformation Fund in the FY 2024 budget. With this investment, 25 SUNY campuses will replicate the City University of New York (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), which dramatically increases associate degree completion, and Accelerate, Complete, and Engage (ACE), which is the baccalaureate version of ASAP.

North Carolina

EO No. 268 Reestablished the Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental, and Health Equity Task Force. The mission of the Task Force is to identify best practices and advise state government on actions that will further the economic development of disadvantaged communities, improve health and wellness outcomes in underserved communities, and advance equitable practices within state agencies that are inclusive of the lived experience of all North Carolinians.

Ohio

Ohio prioritized reducing infant mortality rates using the InnovateOhio Platform (IOP) to enhance predictive profiling models. Over 30 datasets were securely linked to identify at-risk individuals and design targeted interventions. In 2023, $300,000 was invested in data-informed models. In 2024, Ohio allocated funds to evidence-based programs like Healthy Beginnings at Home ($3,000,000) and Infant Vitality ($15,361,000). Ohio partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, investing $16 million annually from 2022 to 2025, promoting literacy by providing monthly books to children under five. Local studies highlight positive impacts, including improved Kindergarten Readiness Assessments.

Oregon

A 2003 Oregon law defines evidence-based program as a program that “incorporates significant and relevant practices based on scientifically based research; and is cost effective” and states that the Oregon Department of Corrections, Oregon Youth Authority, Oregon Youth Development Division, and “the part of the Oregon Health Authority that deals with mental health and addiction issues” shall (1) spend at least 75% of state moneys that the agency receives for programs on evidence-based programs; (2) perform cost-benefit analyses; and (3) compile a biennial program inventory with results from funded programs. As of 2022, the Oregon Youth Authority spent 88% of General Funds ($59.6 million) and 91% of total funds ($88.5 million) subject to Oregon’s Senate Bill 267 (SB267) on evidence-based programming. In a 2022 report to the legislature, the Oregon Department of Education Youth Development Division indicated 94% ($2,420,087) of reported expenditures support local programs that meet evidence-based practice criteria.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections administers the evidence-based State Drug Treatment Program. For over 10 years, the Department of Corrections (DOC) has published a biannual State Intermediate Punishment (SIP) performance report that shows significantly lower recidivism rates for the program participants of SIP back to 2005. To increase participation in these effective programs, Act 115/Justice Reinvestment was passed in 2019. DOC expanded the SIP program (now called State Drug Treatment Program) into more institutions, and the savings generated from the inmates going through the program (as a result of their reduced stay in prison and not receiving parole supervision) will be reinvested into county probation programs, sentencing, and victim services.     

Tennessee

Tennessee’s Office of Evidence and Impact (OEI) defined five evidence steps. The Office also completed inventories of state- and federally-funded program areas including corrections, mental health, substance abuse services, early literacy, labor and workforce, economic development, and higher education as a part of the state’s evidence-based budgeting initiative. Several evidence-based programs are directly administered by state staff and agencies submit updated program outcome data to OEI annually. Currently, 40 of these programs are evidence-based and over $1.8 billion state and federal are invested annually.

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