Healthy Families America

 

Healthy Families America strengthens families by promoting positive parenting, enhancing child health and development, and preventing child abuse and neglect. Research shows this model:

Improves caregiver stress as well as the quality of the home environment, while decreasing family’s likelihood of using violence as a form of punishment and having consequent reports with child protective services (CPS).

  • Healthy Families America increases the quality of the home environment and decreases the likelihood of using violence in the household as a form of violence. [LeCroy, C. W., & Lopez, D. (2020). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Healthy Families: 6-Month and 1-Year Follow-Up. Prevention Science, 21, 25-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-018-0931-4]
  • Healthy Families America lowers levels of parenting-related stress, which is a common factor associated with child maltreatment. [Green, B., Tarte, J., Sanders, M. B., & Walker, M. S. (2016). Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits. Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention, 2, 1-93. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=childfamily_abuse]
  • Healthy Families America increases family likelihood of using nonviolent disciplinary strategies and decreases the frequency of caregivers engaging in serious acts of physical abuse. [Kirkland, K., Lee, E., Smith, C., & Greene, R. (2020). Sustained Impact on Parenting Practices: Year 7 Findings from the Healthy Families New York Randomized Controlled Trial. Prevention Science, 21(4), 498-507. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-020-01110-w]
  • Healthy Families America increases utilization of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and publicly-funded substance abuse treatment services, which decreases family stress and the likelihood of having a substantiated report of physical or sexual abuse. [Green, B. L., Sanders, M. B., & Tarte, J. (2017). Using Administrative Data to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Healthy Families Oregon Home Visiting Program: 2–year Impacts on Child Maltreatment & Service Utilization. Children and Youth Services Review, 75, 77–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.02.019]

Increases the likelihood of children receiving early developmental screenings, being read to by caregivers, and receiving other activities that support development, which leads to improvements in social-emotional competence and overall mental health.

  • Healthy Families America increases children’s levels of social and emotional competence, which describes the ability to understand and manages emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. [Cullen, J. P., Ownbey, J. B., & Ownbey, M. A. (2010). The Effects of the Healthy Families America Home Visitation Program on Parenting Attitudes and Practices and Child Social and Emotional Competence. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal volume, 27, 335-354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-010-0206]
  • Healthy Families America increases the likelihood of children receiving early developmental screenings, as well as families reading to their young children and providing other activities that support development and improve school readiness. [Green, B. L., Tarte, J. M., Harrison, P. M., Nygren, M., & Sanders, M. B. (2014). Results from a Randomized Trial of the Healthy Families Oregon Accredited Statewide Program: Early Program Impacts on Parenting. Children and Youth Services Review, 44, 288-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.06.006; Green, B., Tarte, J., Sanders, M. B., & Walker, M. S. (2016). Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits. Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention, 2, 1-93. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=childfamily_abuse]
  • Healthy Families America improves child mental health by increasing likelihood of scoring in the normal range for cognition, internalizing behaviors, and externalizing behaviors. [Caldera, D., Burrell, L., Rodriguez, K., Crowne, S. S., Rohde, C., & Duggan, A. (2007). Impact of a Statewide Home Visiting Program on Parenting and on Child Health and Development. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31(8), 829–852. https://doi.org//10.1016/j.chiabu.2006.06.011]

Enhances maternal health outcomes by increasing access and utilization of preventive care services, improving positive affect and problem-solving ability, and increasing rates of breast feeding.

  • Healthy Families America improves maternal mental health regarding positive affect and problem-solving ability and increases rates of breast feeding. [LeCroy, C. W., & Lopez, D. (2020). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Healthy Families: 6-Month and 1-Year Follow-Up. Prevention Science, 21, 25-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-018-0931-4]
  • Healthy Families America increases access and utilization of preventive care services, including health insurance coverage, wellness visits, and immunizations. [Green, B., Sanders, M. B., & Tarte, J. M. (2020). Effects of Home Visiting Program Implementation on Preventive Health Care Access and Utilization: Results from a Randomized Trial of Healthy Families Oregon. Prevention Science, 21, 15-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-018-0964-8]

Healthy Families America serves families in 6 counties.