Improving Human Service Planning with ArcView GIS: An Exploratory Study of Child Care Stability and Utilization

Author: Chi Kin Leung
Organization: CSU, Fresno

Science 182C
M/S SB69
Fresno, CA 93740
USA

Phone: 278-2845
Fax: 278-7268
cleung@csufresno-edu

Presented by Mark Hanna

This paper summarizes the first year of a two-year research study examining the use of geographic information systems to improve the planning and resource allocation decisions of a County-wide child care consortium. The paper describes the opportunities and challenges of merging multiple public and private databases, forging confidentiality agreements with County, State, and federal authorities, and utilizing spatial analysis to produce graphical and statistical outputs that can be understood and used by non-technically trained, nonprofit, and public agency human service workers.

The results of the study demonstrate the insight gained through the use of geographic information systems analysis over traditional tablular analysis and the utility of linking spatial and statistical domains.