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Healthy Families

Healthy Families America (HFA), a national initiative launched in 1992 by Prevent Child Abuse America and modeled after Hawaii's Healthy Start, links expectant and new mothers to trained staff who provide home visits and referrals to community services. Families participate voluntarily in the program. HFA currently has home visitation programs in more than 420 communities in the United States and Canada. The following resources offer information on the Healthy Families program and its effectiveness, including State and local examples.

	Healthy Families America Includes Healthy Families contacts in each State, a peer mentoring network, research findings, and other resources.

Engagement and Retention in Voluntary New Parent Support Programs: Final Report
Chapin Hall Center for Children (2005)
This study examining the factors leading to increased parent participation in support programs drew its participant and program samples from Healthy Families America sites.

Engaging and Retaining Participants in the Healthy Families Program: Hope Is an Essential Ingredient (PDF - 2120 KB)
LeCroy
Building Bridges: Linking Practice and Research on Home Visitation, 2006
Discusses research results that can help home visiting programs improve the engagement and retention of families.

Healthy Families America: State Systems Development Guide (PDF - 489 KB)
Prevent Child Abuse America (2003)
Information and innovation to support and grow a national voluntary home visiting initiative designed to promote positive parenting, encourage child health and development, and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Healthy Families America Effectiveness: A Comprehensive Review of Outcomes
Harding, Galano, Martin, Huntington, & Schellenbach (2007)
In Healthy Families America Initiative: Integrating Research, Theory, and Practice
View Abstract
Reviews 33 evaluations of Healthy Families America sites, focusing on outcome domains in child health and development, maternal life course, parenting, and child maltreatment. Also highlights two large-scale evaluations to illustrate exemplary evaluation approaches.

Healthy Families America Self-Assessment Tool 2007 (PDF - 411 KB)
Prevent Child Abuse America (2007)
Evaluates programs based on best practice standards that define the Healthy Families model on twelve critical elements and governance and administration. Identifies policies, procedures, and practices necessary for the program to implement.

HFA Evaluation Results
Healthy Families America
Summaries of evaluation studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of Healthy Families programs.

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State and local examples

Healthy Families New York (HFNY)
Includes a program description, resources for professionals and families, videos, training and staff development materials, and research and evaluations of HFNY.

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Updated on February 24, 2010