In the area of child maltreatment prevention, there is still a limited use of evidence-based parenting programmes based on the concept of positive parenting and devoted to the strengthening and ...empowering of at-risk families and children in the context of families-services partnerships. The aim of this paper is to examine how group-based programmes for parents of at-risk families can best be implemented and evaluated at the local social services level, as a sustained psycho-educational resource for the prevention of child maltreatment. To this end, and after reviewing some evidence of the effect of these programmes on family outcomes, we address the conditions under which these programmes might be successfully integrated into the family preservation services delivered at the local level. The implementation and evaluation of some of these programmes in Spain are used to illustrate the strategy of incorporation followed. Finally, we provide preliminary evidence of the impact of one of these programmes on professional development as one of the key factors in facilitating the sustainability of the programmes.
Objective: To examine the effects of individual and group factors on the changes in child-rearing practices in a parenting program. Method: At risk and non at-risk parents (N = 496), who varied by ...sociodemographic factors, participated in 94 groups that differed by size and composition. Latent growth curve modeling was used to examine the impact of individual and group variables on pre–post changes in inductive, coercive, and permissive-neglecting practices. Results: Inductive parenting increased and coercive and permissive-neglecting parenting decreased over the intervention and the proportion of change was influenced by family structure, parents' gender and group composition. Low-risk groups and mixed (at-risk and non at-risk) groups did better than medium/high-risk groups in changing inductive and coercive practices whereas all groups did well in changing permissive-neglecting practices. Conclusion: To test the effectiveness of a group-based intervention requires taking into account both individual and group sources of variation in the implementation process.
Whether and when to intervene and what services to offer families in crisis are critical questions in the field of child welfare. Policy makers and administrators struggle with how to target services ...appropriately to ensure provision to families at greatest risk while avoiding endangerment through miscalculation. This paper examines the differential (also known as alternative) response paradigm of child welfare services under which families at moderate to high risk for child maltreatment are offered preventative, strengths-based services. The Another Road to Safety Program, an example of a differential response program utilizing home visiting as a service delivery mechanism, is critically assessed to determine support for program assumptions in the child welfare literature base. The types of intervention strategies examined include voluntary service provision, home visitation, paraprofessional service delivery, and targeting of basic and concrete needs.
Objectives:
The current article describes the process evaluation of a social early warning system (SEWS) for the prevention of child maltreatment in the federal state of Hamburg. This prevention ...initiative targets expectant mothers and their partners including an initial screening of risk factors for child maltreatment, a subsequent structured clearing interview further exploring risks and identifying protective factors and an optional referral to the regional health and social care system.
Method:
The process evaluation was conducted by examining the flow of participants through the different stages of the SEWS as well as asking social education workers, parents, and regional institutions about their satisfaction with the process of the SEWS.
Results:
The participation rate throughout the SEWS as well as the satisfaction rates were high.
Conclusions:
The SEWS is a secondary prevention initiative with a substantial difference to other early prevention initiatives, as it aims to facilitate intervention rather than providing it.
Abstract Childhood maltreatment captured medical attention almost 50 years ago. Reviews considering the evidence for published maltreatment prevention programming emerged about 20 years ago. In the ...second decade of the 21st century, evidence-based maltreatment prevention is a reality for at-risk groups; however, the research-to-practice and policy gap remains in most countries. This article considers the importance of personal financial health and how that is necessarily the building blocks of national health. It argues for the primacy of the goal of problem prevention—the prevention of childhood maltreatment. A twofold approach is suggested: (1) broad-scale adoption of evidence-based prevention and (2) and on-going commitment to refining the evidence base for effective, promising, and novel intervention.
Child maltreatment is a significant public health problem and described as one of the greatest threats facing the health, welfare, and social well-being of children (Centers for Disease Control and ...Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). The effect of child maltreatment on the children involved, their families, and society as a whole is substantial. Despite mandatory reporting laws, the poignant reality is that child maltreatment is significantly underrecognized and underreported. Interventions must be designed, tested, and implemented to fulfill the goal of child maltreatment prevention. Forensic nurses are uniquely qualified to assume a leadership role and work collaboratively with children, their caregivers, and all members of the interdisciplinary team to ensure the safety and protection of children. The purpose of this article is to present an evidence-based discussion of the scope of the problem of child maltreatment, contributing barriers to recognition and reporting, and suggestions for interventions designed to achieve the goals of primary and secondary prevention.
Child maltreatment is a leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality, described as one of the greatest threats facing the health, welfare, and social well-being of children in the United States ...(). Despite mandatory reporting laws, the poignant reality is that this public health problem is significantly underrecognized and underreported by heath care providers. The purpose of this project was to implement a series of strategies in a pediatric emergency department to identify children who are at risk of maltreatment and initiate interventions to ensure their safety and protection before a devastating outcome occurs. The results of this project support the implementation of nursing education, a screening program for risk of child maltreatment, and collaboration with interdisciplinary stakeholders to achieve best practice in emergency medicine.
This study examined the effects of a Healthy Families America (HFA) credentialed home visitation program on the parenting attitudes and practices of a sample of at-risk parents. It also examined the ...social and emotional competence of children whose parents successfully completed the program. The HFA model is an intensive early intervention program that targets at-risk families through home visitation services. Successful completion of the program is a process that takes between 3 and 5 years. Results indicate that, relative to the baseline, parents who completed the program showed significant positive change in parenting attitudes and practices. In addition, relative to other children their age, the children of families who successfully completed the program exhibited significantly higher levels of performance on measures of social and emotional competence.
Respite child care programs that provide temporary child care, support, and referral services to families of children with developmental disabilities are thought to be a critical component of formal ...social support interventions deemed necessary to promote healthy family functioning and prevent child maltreatment. This study describes sociodemographic characteristics, parenting stress levels, foster care placement, and founded child maltreatment rates in families of children with developmental disabilities who were using respite care services in a rural Midwestern state. Comparison of matched pre‐ and post‐test Parenting Stress Index scores indicated significant decreases in Total Stress scores (t=3.27, df=86, p=0.0016), Parent Domain scores (t=3.55, df=86, p=0.0006), and Child Domain scores (t=2.2, df=86, p=0.02) following provision of respite care. Through logistic regression, it was determined that life stress, social support, and service level were significantly related to the occurrence of child maltreatment during enrollment ( p < 0.05). The investigator suggests that public health nurses can enhance their case management strategies when working with the parents of children with developmental disabilities by monitoring for caregiver burnout in addition to ensuring that the child is receiving care appropriate for his or her level of need.
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