In this proposal, we present the design of the evaluation of the Family Preservation Spaces Programme that the Meniños Foundation (https://meninos.org/) and the ARELA Association (https://arela.org/), with funding from the Department of Social Policy of the Galician Regional Government, have been implementing on an experimental basis since 2022 in two of the Galician counties with a significant number of open cases in the child protection system. Our aim is to present the evaluation design that will allow us to establish this initiative as an evidence-based programme.

This programme offers a comprehensive service of psychological, social, and educational support to children and adolescents in a situation of low risk and their families, from a systemic approach to intervention that allows the strengthening of the family unit. The aim is to prevent children and young people from entering the child protection system and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the family preservation model through evaluation.

Family education programmes in Spain, based on the positive parenting approach, have increased significantly in recent decades (Álvarez et al., 2016). As a result, there are multiple programmes aimed at preventing maltreatment and promoting good treatment to ensure the well-being of families (Orte et al., 2022).

However, only some of these initiatives can be considered evidence-based programmes because they meet certain quality standards, including "a scientific theory base, a rigorous research design, a high quality of programme implementation, and control of factors related to the intervention that can contribute to the replication of results" (Máiquez et al., 2015, p. 79).

Although evidence-based programmes were initially applied in the field of health sciences, their presence has been increasing, particularly in the social sciences. This is precisely due to initiatives such as the European Family Support Framework (EurofamNet), which identifies those programmes that meet high quality criteria and can be replicated with maximum guarantee of success (Rodrigo et al., 2023).

Specifically, this approach argues that professional practice with families should be based on evidence, and therefore it is essential to have empirically validated programmes to improve the quality of the interventions carried out and thus obtain better results (Álvarez et al., 2016). It is necessary to introduce a culture of scientific evaluation of the social programmes they develop in social organisations and to be able to rely on evidence that supports their effectiveness. Evaluation remains one of the unresolved issues in social interventions.

In designing the evaluation, we aim to answer the following questions: What is the impact of the programme on families and their children? Which families benefit most from the programme? What elements define the effectiveness of an intervention programme with families at low or moderate risk? Can we rely on valid and reliable assessment tools for families and children at social risk? Is it possible to reduce the number of children entering the protection system? The purpose of evaluation is not the production of knowledge, but the use of knowledge for action, change and improvement. We start from a participatory evaluation model based on two assumptions. Firstly, the involvement of decision-makers and stakeholders in the evaluation process, and secondly, the use of evaluation results to change, modify or close the programme. This involvement will contribute to the acceptance of the results and improve decision-making, leading to greater support for the programme and its extension to other populations as good practice in family intervention. Specifically, in line with Alvira-Martín (2002), the evaluation has several levels in which we have had different qualitative and quantitative instruments: 1. Evaluation of the design. Our aim is to check that the programme is evaluable, i.e. that its design meets the required quality standards, and to verify its feasibility before implementation. 2. Initial assessment. Focuses on analysing the needs of families and their expectations of the programme. 3. Evaluation of implementation. The conditions under which a programme is implemented are a key element in its effectiveness and development. 4. Coverage assessment. The aim is to analyse the extent to which the programme reaches the target population. It analyses the coverage rate of the programme and whether there is a coverage bias. 5. Evaluation of the results. For this evaluation we opted for a quasi-experimental design of two non-equivalent groups with pre-test and post-test. 6. Follow-up evaluation. After the end of the programme, the families will be monitored according to the defined social indicators.

The evaluation of the programme is estimated to take two years, but we can already point to some evidence of its effectiveness: the low dropout rate of families from the intervention; the loyalty of families to the programme, as evidenced by the high attendance (father, mother and children) at the scheduled sessions; the request by social services professionals to refer families to the programme or even from other community services (educational or health centres); and the change of address in the referral request. Although at the start of the programme (spring 2022) the referral of families to the programme was very slow, there are currently families on the waiting list to start the intervention process, which indicates the need for a community programme of this nature. In short, we must continue to make progress in the evaluation of this programme, a complex research process that must be adapted to the pace of intervention with families, involving different agents, with different profiles, using different techniques and tools, and seeking evidence of its effectiveness.

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