(0 items)
- Home
- » Child Neglect Demonstration Projects: Synthesis of Lessons Learned
- » Child Neglect Demonstration Projects: Synthesis of Lessons Learned: 1. Overview of Services and Outcomes
Child Neglect Demonstration Projects: Synthesis of Lessons Learned
Email
Order (Free)
Print (PDF 248 KB)
Share
Rate This
4.3/5, 3 Reviews
|
Series: Grantee Lessons Learned |
|
Author(s):
Child Welfare Information Gateway
|
| Year Published: 2004 |
1. Overview of Services and Outcomes
Because there is no standard definition of neglect, each grantee established its own eligibility criteria for inclusion in the program.4 Families were referred by child protective services (CPS) and medical or social service organizations, or were self-referred. In many cases, families were referred after neglect had been substantiated by CPS. In most instances, participation was voluntary. Most of the families lived in high-risk urban settings and were considered to be at very high risk for neglect.
The projects provided a great variety of services, and referred children and families to many other resources or services in the community.5 The direct services most commonly provided (followed by the number of programs that provided each service) were:
- Parent education (9)
- Home visits (9)
- Referrals or links to community resources (8)
- Parent support (8)
- Mental health services (6)
- Concrete assistance (6)
- Crisis intervention (6)
The projects reported accomplishing all or most of their objectives, and all reported positive outcomes for children and families. In the case of six programs, these findings are supported by evaluation designs that included a comparison group, pre/post use of standardized instruments, and statistical analysis of data.6 Outcomes reported by one or more of these six programs included:
Reductions in:
- Child behavior problems.
- Parent/caregiver depressive symptoms, drug use, life stress, parenting stress, perception of child behavior problems, emotional problems, and social isolation.
- Foster care placement and CPS reports.
Improvements in:
- Child health, developmental adaptation, and well-being.
- Parenting skills, including parent/caregiver stimulation of children, physical care of children, psychological care of children, parental teaching, caregiver skills to meet children's psycho-emotional needs, appropriate discipline, social support, knowledge of child development, and positive behavior management.
- Family housing, healthcare, support, and resources.
For more information about the projects' service populations, services, service duration, staffing, evaluation models, and reported outcomes, see Appendix B.
4 Zuravin, S. J. (1999). Child neglect: A review of definitions and measurement research. In Dubowitz, H. (Ed.), Neglected children: Research, practice and policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. back
5 For specific service types provided by each program, see Appendix B. back
6 For specific outcomes reported by each program, see Appendix B. back
This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.