Overview: A participatory approach to mitigating maternal-child food insecurity
Food insecurity remains a pressing health-related social need in the United States, with elevated risk among households with children. In this mixed-methods study, a Community Workshop Series (CWS) was co-created with local organizations in West Las Vegas to address maternal-child food insecurity through a multi-level strategy aligned with the Nurturing Care Framework (NCF). The evaluation uses the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) to understand how a community-led education model can influence knowledge, access to resources, and ongoing partnerships in historically underserved neighborhoods.
Co-creation and theoretical grounding
The West Las Vegas Promise Neighborhood (WLVPN) zip codes, historically redlined and marked by structural inequities, were the setting for this initiative. A Community Advisory Board (CAB) with 19 organizations guided topic selection across the NCF domains, employing Freire’s Model of Education to structure workshop delivery. The aim was to translate policy and research evidence into culturally resonant education that empowers maternal-child dyads and connects families to resources—while also strengthening multisectoral collaboration and trust between researchers and community stakeholders.
What the Community Workshop Series entailed
The CWS comprised 17 sessions (with two cancellations) hosted by CAB members across five ZIP codes. Workshops included on-site childcare and light meals, with outreach conducted through both virtual and in-person channels. Topics spanned five NCF domains, emphasizing good health, adequate nutrition, early learning, security and safety, and responsive caregiving.
Implementation followed a two-phase process: (1) co-creation of the plan and host selection; and (2) development of implementation tools, training, and outreach strategies. Fidelity to Freirean pedagogy was monitored using an observation guide at each session, ensuring dialogue, conscientization, problem-posing, codification, and reflection were addressed where possible.
Key findings by RE-AIM dimension
Reach
Among survey respondents, about half resided in WLVPN zip codes and roughly half were at risk for food insecurity. Attendance barriers included time conflicts, work obligations, and other competing needs. Hosts noted transportation, childcare gaps, and, post-pandemic, waning adult participation as ongoing challenges. Outreach strategies mainly via social media and Eventbrite extended reach beyond the target community, suggesting a need for stronger local canvassing and consistent workshop locations to improve engagement within the WLVPN.
Effectiveness
Participants reported a significant increase in self-rated knowledge from before to after each CWS (p < 0.001). Nearly all attendees indicated they would use what they learned, with the majority reporting no anticipated barriers to applying the content. Qualitative feedback highlighted appreciation for engaging, accessible content that families could understand alongside practical resources.
Adoption
Adoption was bolstered by alignment between CAB missions and the program’s people-centered approach. However, some hosts called for broader cross-organization collaboration and more direct channels of communication. The participatory nature of the co-creation fostered a sense of ownership among hosts, though turnover and varying capacity within CAB members limited the breadth of collaboration during the pilot year.
Implementation
Fidelity to the Freire Model was generally high, with most sessions addressing multiple dimensions of the framework. Feedback loops—exemplified by timely Data Report Cards—helped hosts monitor progress. A key lesson was the value of flexible planning that honors local context while maintaining core educational objectives. Some hosts requested standardized prompts and contingency plans to support smoother delivery in future iterations.
Maintenance
Participants and hosts expressed commitment to continuing the CWS beyond the pilot year, with recommendations including expanding Spanish-language offerings, sustaining in-person engagement, and adding direct services (e.g., resource bags, groceries) to complement education. Quarterly CAB meetings were seen as critical for sustaining relationships and spawning new partnerships, though formal mechanisms to recruit additional CAB members could strengthen longevity and reach.
Implications for practice and future work
This evaluation demonstrates that a community-led workshop model, grounded in NCF principles and implemented through an equity-focused RE-AIM lens, can meaningfully increase knowledge about maternal-child health and food security. The main barriers to reach—transportation, childcare, and competing needs—underscore the necessity of integrating direct services with education and expanding language access. Going forward, strategies should emphasize early outreach, robust in-language options, and direct community engagement to maximize reach without compromising cultural relevance.
Conclusion
The Community Workshop Series in WLVPN shows promise as a scalable, participatory intervention to mitigate maternal-child food insecurity. While challenges in reach persist, the observed gains in knowledge and positive participant feedback indicate that well-coordinated, community-driven education can complement existing services and strengthen multisector collaborations—an essential step toward healthier families and healthier communities.
