Friday, 14 January 2005 - 10:00 AM

This presentation is part of: Evaluating a Large-Scale Community Initiative on Early Childhood

The role of home visiting in a comprehensive early childhood initiative

Purpose: The study involves a comprehensive evaluation of two home visitation programs – Welcome Home and Early Start, core components of the Early Childhood Initiative (ECI). ECI uses universal home visitation to provide a common reference point and core set of information for all first time and teen parents. Continuing visiting services are offered to those new parents in need of ongoing support due to a lack of sufficient parenting knowledge and self-management skills or who face environmental challenges. This study sought to assess home visitation program quality and outcomes.

Methods: The evaluation documented the characteristics and experiences of over 800 families that participated in home visiting services. Interviews were conducted with participants at the time of referral and 3- and 11-months post-enrollment. In addition, data were analyzed on service experiences as reported by their home visitors over the initial nine-month enrollment period and child abuse reports among the sample for the first 3 to 6 months following study enrollment

Results: Three-months after receiving the visit, Welcome Home participants remember the information provided by the nurse and report using the information in caring for their infants. Families presenting at the highest level of risk are twice as likely to receive an initial home visit and engage in the program as those with the lowest risk scores. Our data suggest a greater number of services have modest predictive ability in explaining a participant’s reduced risk for physical abuse and increased sense of competence and comfort in caring for her child.

Implications: All new parents, regardless of socio-economic status, can expect to face a variety of challenges and need a range of supports during their child’s first year of life. The observed patterns underscore the importance of casting a broad and inclusive net in providing support and outreach to all new parents.

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