The Kindness of Strangers: Family-based Early Intervention and Improved Outcomes for Children

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Author & Speaker

Tina Robilliard

Organisation

Child, Family and Community Policy, Ministry of Social Development,
Wellington, New Zealand,
and
Department of Public Policy and Administration,
California State University, Sacramento, USA

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between early intervention services provided and improved outcomes for children, in order to identify aspects of the family that may be more amenable to intervention by family support services. This study examined the effectiveness of three family intervention programs in Sacramento, California and draws lessons for New Zealand on how these types of programs can be successful at protecting children from negative outcomes such as abuse and neglect. The presentation of this study includes a description of the problems faced by New Zealand children, a brief overview of the methodology used in this study, a presentation of the findings from the three interventions program examined, as well as implications and lessons for policy and practice.

Method

A quasi-experimental design approach was used and a sample of families (N= 297) across three California-based early intervention home visitation programs were examined. Individual family data was analysed to determine the relationship between program involvement (duration and intensity) and changes in pre- and post-intervention outcome measures for child. Quantitative regression analysis and qualitative descriptions of each program provided insight into the extent these programs contributed to improving child outcomes.

Results

Of the six child outcomes examined across three case study intervention programmes, only the outcome category of healthy child birthweight had a significant positive relationship with family intervention services provided (at a 0.05 level of significance). This study found no significant relationship between program involvement and improvements in the remaining five outcome indicators examined: maternal smoking or drug use; breastfeeding by mother; child health; unplanned pregnancies; and child abuse and neglect.

Conclusions

This study concluded that longer and more intense home visitation interventions into most aspects of the families in this sample did not necessarily result in improved outcomes for children, including the outcome of abuse and neglect. Finding the most effective area of the family to intervene to enhance a child's well-being is complex and requires interventions grounded in a thorough analysis of the empirical research. Interventions into any aspect of the family need to be a part of an integrated model based on flexibility of intensity and duration, high quality theoretical underpinnings and implemented by appropriately trained staff providing quality service. There are no easy solutions.

Biography of Author

Tina Robilliard is a Policy Analyst in the Ministry of Social Development's Child, Family and Community Policy Unit. She has recently returned from California after graduating with a Masters in Public Policy & Administration. Tina's thesis research focused on early intervention and prevention programmes in California and the lessons that can be drawn from these programmes for New Zealand. Before her work at the Ministry of Social Development Tina was a Change Consultant for the IT consulting company Accenture, where she was involved in a Courts Modernisation Project and a project to enhance Child, Youth and Family's Case Management system and provide training to staff.

References

Linda Taylor (04) 918 9544,
Richard Joblin (04) 9163784