Eligibility
An eligible family includes a pregnant mother, and the father if available; or the parent or primary caregiver of a child from birth to entry into kindergarten. Priority is given to high-risk children and families described in the law as:- Low-income families,
- Pregnant women not yet 21 years old,
- Families with histories of child abuse or neglect and/or involvement with the child welfare services,
- Families with a history of substance abuse or in need of treatment or who use tobacco products in the home,
- Children with low student achievement and/or developmental delays or disabilities,
- Families who had a member serve in the Armed Forces, or have had multiple deployments outside the country.
Benchmarks
In order to participate, states must designate a lead agency, prepare a needs assessment due September 1, and establish benchmarks to show improvement in the following areas:- Prenatal, maternal, and newborn health, including improved pregnancy outcomes
- Child health and development, including the prevention of child injuries and maltreatment and cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical developmental indicators
- Parenting skills
- School readiness and child academic achievement
- Reductions in crime or domestic violence
- Family economic self-sufficiency
- Coordination and referrals for other community resources and supports
Models
States are required to select service models that meet certain requirements:They must use at least 75 percent of their grant funds to support evidence-based home visiting models that have been in existence for at least three years and have been evaluated through well-designed and rigorous randomized control trials or quasi-experimental research designs.
The remaining 25 percent of grant funding can go to promising and new approaches that have been developed or identified by a national organization or institution of higher education and that will be evaluated through a well-designed and rigorous process.
Home visiting models that are widely recognized and have been in existence for at least three years include the following:
Nurse-Family Partnerships
http://www.nursefamilypartnership.org
Healthy Families America
http://www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org
Parents as Teachers
http://www.parentsasteachers.org
The Parent-Child Home Program
http://www.parent-child.org
HIPPY
http://www.hippyusa.org
States can use a smaller portion of their funding (25%) for promising models and the National Family Preservation Network believes that promising models include:
SafeCare®
http://chhs.gsu.edu/safecare/training.asp
Homebuilders® model of Intensive Family Preservation Services
http://www.institutefamily.org
Evaluation
No matter which model is used, states are required to conduct an evaluation to show the effectiveness of the model and achievement of benchmarks.NFPN recommends that states use the NCFAS-G with their home visiting programs to assess families and to measure results. An early research study of a home visiting program using a modified version of the NCFAS found significant improvement in family functioning (de la Rosa, Perry, Dalton & Johnson, 2005). Since that study was published, the NCFAS-G has been developed with reliability and validity established in a program to divert families from the child welfare system.
The NCFAS-G incorporates the NCFAS domains:
- Environment
- Parental Capabilities
- Family Interactions
- Family Safety
- Child Well-Being
And it adds three additional domains:
- Social/Community Life
- Self-Sufficiency
- Family Health
All of these domains can be used by the home visiting worker to assess the family and prioritize needs and services. Family progress can be tracked at regular intervals and aggregate data provides an agency with the measures needed to show improvement in benchmarks set in the federal legislation.
Conclusion
In summary, home visiting programs are currently a high priority of the federal government and all of us can make use of opportunities to learn more about this issue and lend our expertise and experience wherever possible.To view a more detailed summary of the home visiting legislation, download the Children's Defense Fund report, "New Investments to Help Children and Families":
http://tinyurl.com/new-investments-pdf
For more information on the NCFAS-G, visit:
http://tinyurl.com/ncfasg-package
Priscilla Martens, Exec. Dir.
National Family Preservation Network
director@nfpn.org | 888-498-9047
