Family support programs commonly use self-sufficiency matrices (SSMs) to measure family outcomes, however, validation research on SSMs is sparse. This study examined the reliability of the Colorado Family Support Assessment 2.0 (CFSA 2.0) to measure family self-reliance across 14 domains (e.g., employment).

Ten written case studies were developed. Family advocates (n = 24) independently coded each case study on each domain of the CFSA 2.0. Intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients were calculated to determine the level of agreement between participants. Rating accuracy was calculated by subtracting the correct score for each domain and case study from the score given by the raters.

ICCs ranged from .79 to .96. Across all domains and case studies, family advocates were 84.4% accurate. Allowing for minor deviations (off by 1 on the 5-point scale) shows 96% accuracy.

A well-constructed SSM can be used to collect reliable and objective data on family self-sufficiency.