Executive Summary of COFI Replication and Expansion Success Paper

In seven communities across Illinois, from spring of 2014 through fall of 2017, Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI) recruited, trained and supported 591 low-income parents of color in becoming civic leaders. These communities were new to COFI, which had for 20 years worked primarily with elementary school parents in Chicago neighborhoods: the expansion sought to test COFI’s effectiveness in diverse communities and with younger parents of children ages 0-8. After three-and-a-half years we can convincingly say that “Yes, the COFI model translates well to a broad range of constituencies – urban, suburban, and more isolated smaller cities across the state and teen parents, fathers and families with very young children.”