Throughout its history, TPA has championed the integration of a coaching approach in human services in order to recognize and leverage the strength, creativity, and self-determination of families and communities. Alongside the design of its financial education and employer readiness models, these efforts have culminated in the design or co-design of three comprehensive coaching frameworks for human services, with Family-Centered Coaching (FCC) as the most significant and widely implemented approach.
Nationally, the evolution of coaching in human services has grown significantly over the course of more than a decade. Emerging as a response to the limitations of traditional case management, TPA and other organizations developed approaches to coaching that focused on specific programs and benefits. TPA first designed and evaluated a financial coaching approach, Financial Coaching for Prosperity, and then an approach focused on employment, Career & Life Coaching. Family-Centered Coaching shifts the focus from individual to family-wide goals and needs, recognizing the interconnectedness of a family's aspirations and challenges. Through this more holistic and collaborative approach, community-based agencies can better partner with families to make progress on their self-determined goals. FCC also deeply acknowledges and seeks to address systemic barriers to prosperity.
FCC has been rigorously evaluated by numerous experts and academics, employing a variety of methodological approaches to ensure that it effectively addresses the complex, interconnected needs of families experiencing poverty. These evaluations have been crucial in refining the approach and guiding its ongoing development. The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive historical account of the learnings gained throughout the iterative development of FCC and its evaluations. By documenting the evolution of FCC from its inception to its current form, this report captures the insights and lessons that have shaped the approach, offering valuable context for its ongoing application and future adaptations.
Read the report now: The Emergence and Evolution of the Family-Centered Coaching Model