Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2006

Abstract

This paper evaluates early impacts of a home visiting program modeled after Healthy Families America on parenting behaviors in the first two years of life. It also proposes a framework for reconciling discrepant findings from randomized trials evaluating home visitation programs. A sample of 1173 families at risk for child abuse and neglect who met the criteria for Healthy Families New York (HFNY) was randomly assigned to either an intervention group that was offered the program or to a control group that was given information and referrals to other services. Study participants were interviewed at baseline and at the child’s first birthday (90% re-interviewed) and second birthday (85% re-interviewed). HFNY mothers reported committing fewer acts of abuse and neglect during the child’s first two years of life than control mothers. Compared to counterparts in the control group, women in the intervention group who were young, first-time mothers and randomly assigned at 30 weeks of pregnancy or less were less likely to engage in minor physical aggression (51% versus 70%) and abusive parenting in the past week (41% versus 62%). Impacts on the prevalence and number of incidents of serious abuse and neglect were concentrated among the “psychologically vulnerable.” These findings suggest that who is offered home visitation may be an important factor in explaining the differential effectiveness of home visitation programs. Improved impacts may be realized by prioritizing the populations served or by enhancing the model to meet program objectives for hard-to-serve families.

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