Effects of Healthy Families New York on the Promotion of Maternal Parenting Competencies and the Prevention of Harsh Parenting

• NCJ Number: 232721
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 34 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2010 Pages: 711-723
• Author(s): M. L. Rodriguez; K. Dumont; S. D. Mitchell-Herzfeld; N. J. Walden; R. Greene
• Date Published: October 2010
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): 90CW1105
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the Healthy Families New York (HFNY), a home visiting program whose purpose is to promote parenting competencies among mothers at risk for child abuse and neglect.

Abstract

HFNY was determined to be effective in promoting positive parenting among mothers at risk for child abuse and neglect, which may be due to the program's focus on the existing parenting strengths of the mothers. HFNY mothers in the High Prevention Opportunity subgroup were less likely than their counterparts in the control group to use harsh parenting approaches. No differences were found between the Limited Prevention Opportunity subgroup and the control group. In order to optimize service delivery, HFNY should continue to focus on improving parent-child interaction, give priority to services for young, first-time mothers who are offered the program during pregnancy, and explore effective strategies for reducing negative parenting practices among the Limited Prevention opportunity subgroup. HFNY was established in 1995 as a voluntary comprehensive and intensive home visitation program, which now operates in 39 sites throughout the State. HFNY targets pregnant women and parents with an infant less than 3 months old who live in communities that pose challenges to the child's development. Eligible parents are offered the opportunity to enroll in HFNY. Trained paraprofessionals conduct home visits with parents biweekly during pregnancy and weekly after the child's birth. The home visits occur on a diminishing schedule until the child is 5 years old or enrolled in kindergarten or Head Start. The evaluation used microlevel observational assessment of mother-child interactions in the third wave of a randomized controlled trial, so as to determine whether mothers who received home visiting services were more likely to exhibit positive parenting and less likely to display negative parenting behaviors than those who did not receive these services. 4 tables, 1 figure, and 60 references