What is the Single Mom Research Initiative?

 

The mission of the Ballard Center is to help families throughout the world become economically self-reliant. The Single Mom Research Initiative (SMRI) represents the Ballard Center’s effort to help families here in Utah. Beginning in late 2005, the SMRI was created in partnership with the Single Mom Foundation with the mission of helping single moms in Utah achieve economic self-reliance. The SMRI works to improve the lives of single moms by bringing together sponsors, researchers, and practitioners to create and disseminate innovative strategies for helping single moms build economic self-reliance.

 

As with the Center’s other initiatives, the SMRI works with practitioners to uncover and implement more effective interventions. The SMRI disseminates its findings to interested practitioners throughout Utah through publications, learning labs, internships and consulting projects.

 

The Single Mom Research Initiative brings together innovative researchers, practitioners, and sponsors in two ways:

  1. The SMRI partners with researchers, practitioners, and sponsors on applied research projects designed to identify and create innovative strategies for supporting single moms. The benefits of these projects not only include the development of innovative solutions for supporting single mom families, but also the ability to base practice on solid applied research rather than anecdotal information.
  2. The SMRI leverages its findings by sharing them with a network of interested practitioners throughout Utah through publications, learning labs, internships, and consulting projects. The SMRI facilitates and participates in this network of practitioners not only to allow sharing of information but also to encourage collaboration. The network becomes a virtual think tank that helps practitioners serving single moms to provide better programs and services and also helps advocates and government entities promote the laws and programs that offer the greatest potential in helping the single mother and her children.