142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Locally Designed Home Visiting Program Has Sustained Impacts on Child Development and Parenting Quality

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 1:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Sarah Benatar, PhD , Health Policy Center, The Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Heather Sandstrom, PhD , Center on Labor, Human Services and Population, The Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Embry Howell, PhD , Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Timothy Triplett, PhD , The Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Ian Hill, MPA, MSW , Health Policy Center, The Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Christina Christie, PhD , Granduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
Todd Franke, PhD , Department of Social Welfare/Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities, University of California, Los Angeles
Maria Lourdes Brown, MPH , Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities, University of California, Los Angeles
Jennifer Marcella, MA , Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
Deborah Grodzicki, PhD , UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Margaret Wilkinson , Health Policy Center, The Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background

Home visiting is a long-standing service delivery strategy used to promote positive maternal and child health and development.  We conducted a longitudinal  study using a quasi-experimental design to determine the impacts of a locally designed nine-month long home visiting program on child development, developmental screening, and maternal and child  engagement, among other outcomes. 

Methodology

This six-year evaluation employs mixed methods to assess program implementation and outcomes.  Findings presented here are based on a survey designed to examine outcomes at 12, 24 and 36 months postpartum.  The study includes an intervention group of mothers who received home visiting (n = 454) and a comparison group of mothers from the same community who were not offered the program (n = 280).  A majority of the sample are low-income Latino immigrants with less than a high school education.

Results

At 12 months we find that participants have higher quality home environments with more learning materials, higher engagement in home learning activities, and children at reduced risk of social-emotional delay.   Several measures are sustained at 24 months, where the intervention group continues to demonstrate higher quality home environments and engagement in home learning activities, greater social competence and communication skills, and a higher rate of early identification for speech and language delays.  Additionally, at 24-months the intervention group demonstrates stronger maternal responsiveness and encouragement.  A 36-month survey is currently underway.

Conclusions

Significant parenting and child development findings demonstrate that the home visiting program is having a measurable and sustaining impact for this at-risk population.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Diversity and culture
Other professions or practice related to public health
Program planning
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify potential child development benefits of this home visiting program (Welcome Baby) Evaluate benefits of low-medium intensity home visiting on parenting quality Describe the impacts of this locally designed home visiting program.

Keyword(s): Risk Factors/Assesment, Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am deputy project director of the six year evaluation of this home visiting program and primary author on the research report. I have evaluated several maternal and child health programs related to birth, breastfeeding, and development outcomes as well as health care access, eligibility, and enrollment.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4243.0: Infant & Child Health: Interventions to Improve Early Child Health