Introduction: Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions is essential for family support services to ensure that their work is evidence-based, responsive, and impactful. Systematic evaluation helps services understand what works, for whom, and under what circumstances, enabling continuous improvement and accountability to funders and families alike. Psychology researchers can play an important role by partnering with practitioners to co-design and implement pre-post measures that capture meaningful change in areas such as parental wellbeing, family relationships, and child outcomes. Purpose: Based on ten years of collaboration between psychology researchers and a family support service in Ireland, this presentation reflects on key lessons learned in developing a culture of evaluation within applied service contexts. Method: The research strategy evolved over time but was primarily co-developed through a process of iterative dialogue. Aims and objectives balanced academic rigour with service priorities, which supported the evaluation in becoming embedded rather than externally imposed. Results: Through collaboration, researchers bring expertise in survey design, measurement, and data analysis, while practitioners contribute practical insights into service delivery and family needs. Conclusion: Bridging academic and practice cultures comes with challenges and rewards, including managing differing timelines, expectations, and definitions of success. Ultimately, this collaboration strengthens the evidence base, enhances service quality, and ensures that families benefit from approaches that are both empirically informed and contextually relevant.