Brighter Futures Initiative: Background

Wisconsin Brighter Futures Initiative was developed in response to a 1996 State prevention program audit completed by the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau. Upon reviewing prevention programs for children, youth, and families among thirteen state agencies, totaling $181.8 million, the audit found that a number of youth programs provided similar services to the same target audiences. The audit also found a lack of outcome information to determine the effectiveness of the State's prevention efforts. The Legislative Audit Bureau report stressed the need to consider solutions that would:

• Structure services to foster coordination of local prevention efforts;
• Reduce duplication of services;
• Create funding strategies that encourage the development of local comprehensive prevention initiatives;
• Enhance efforts to evaluate effectiveness; and
• Enhance effective information and technical assistance services to support local prevention efforts.

In 2000, the University of Wisconsin Center for Health Policy and Program Evaluation, with input from the Division of Children & Family Services, developed a county "youth risk" ranking for selecting counties that would be invited to participate in this new initiative. Nine of the ten highest ranked counties in terms of youth risk were funded in January 2001. In April 2004, the Brighter Futures Initiative (BFI) expanded to include the Menominee Indian Reservation.

Last Revised: October 21, 2011