Measuring Success

 

On our first even we planned to bring smiles to 80 children, but we the support of our donors and volunteers we were able to bring smiles to 246 children in 3 communities of the Dominican Republic. Our goal is to ensure that we use the most effective means of helping our children succeed and have hope of a better future.

 

Evaluation:

Sonrisas de Niños is currently instituting a far-reaching process of evaluation and on-going quality improvement monitoring. 

 

Following accepted practice in program evaluation, we began with a formative evaluation. This refers to a method for judging the value of a program as it is developing: How well do the written materials and methods of a program fit with best practices for achieving the program’s desired ends? In our case this means helping with education, health and maintaining traditions alive.

 

We began the formative evaluation by having program staff identify the barriers our children face to be more successful in school. Having the need for the basic educational tools was identified, this is addressed by our education for all program.

 

As to keeping traditions alive we found that too many children don't are part of low resource families that can't afford to buy them a gift on a special day such as Christmas. Our Regalando Sonrisas program was design to address this issue by organizing toys giving events very poor communities. 

 

We talk to schools principals as well as local hospitals where we identified the need for better health checks. Our health program was design with the aim at proving annual physical exams and promoting such accts throughout the country, at the least for all children.