Home > Strengthening Families and Communities: 2009 Resource Guide > Chapter 1: Laying the Groundwork - Using Evidence to Support Efforts to Strengthen Families

Strengthening Families and Communities: 2009 Resource Guide

Author(s):  Child Welfare Information Gateway, Children's Bureau, FRIENDS National Resource Center For Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention

Year Published:  2009

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You are in section: Table of Contents Letter From the Children’s Bureau About the Resource Guide Protective Factors for Strengthening… Levers for Change: Deepening and Sustaining… Using Evidence to Support Efforts… Promoting the Five Protective… Nurturing and Attachment Knowledge of Parenting and… Parental Resilience Social Connections Concrete Supports for Parents Tools for Engaging Your Community Engaging Community Partners Tips for Working With Specific Groups Talking Points Temas de conversación Sample Press Release for National… Ejemplo de boletín de prensa Sample Public Service Announcements Ejemplo de anuncio de servicio público… Sample Letter to Legislators Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Child Maltreatment National Child Abuse Prevention Partners Federal Interagency Work Group on Child… Using the Tip Sheets for Parents and Caregivers Bonding With Your Baby Usted y su bebé: El lazo que los une Dealing With Temper Tantrums Los berrinches Connecting With Your Teen Cómo relacionarse con su hijo adolescente Teen Parents...You’re Not Alone! Hay muchos padres adolescentes como usted Ten Ways to Be a Better Dad Diez maneras de ser un mejor padre Raising Your Grandchildren Cómo criar al hijo de un pariente

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Chapter 1: Laying the Groundwork
Using Evidence to Support Efforts to Strengthen Families

Evidence-based family strengthening practice involves identifying, assessing, and implementing strategies that are supported by scientific research as being effective. Just as we expect our family physician to keep abreast of which treatment options work best, we want to use evidence in our own work to:

• Ensure we are integrating the best available research with current child abuse prevention program expertise to guide our work with children and families.
• Invest our limited dollars in programs and practices backed by evidence that shows they produce positive outcomes for children and families.
• Become more informed funders, consumers, and community partners to prevent child abuse and neglect.
• Foster a culture of continuous quality improvement by promoting ongoing evaluation and quality assurance activities across all prevention and family support programs.

The terms "evidence-based" and "evidence-informed" are defined differently in different contexts. Evidence-based practices are approaches to prevention or treatment that are validated by some form of documented scientific evidence. This includes findings established through controlled clinical studies, but other methods of establishing evidence are valid as well. Evidence-based programs use a defined curriculum or set of services that, when implemented with fidelity as a whole, has been validated by some form of scientific evidence. Evidence-based practices and programs may be described as "supported" or "well-supported," depending on the strength of the research design.

Evidence-informed practices use the best available research and practice knowledge to guide program design and implementation. This informed practice allows for innovation while incorporating the lessons learned from the existing research literature (FRIENDS Discussion Tool, 2008). Ideally, evidence-based and evidence-informed programs and practices should be responsive to families' cultural backgrounds, community values, and individual preferences (Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, 2007).

This section of the Resource Guide identifies family strengthening programs and practices that have been evaluated by researchers and shown to be effective, in some form, for reducing the risk of child abuse and neglect. It also includes information about selecting and implementing specific evidence-based programs.

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Evidence-Based/Evidence-Informed Programs and Practices for Family Strengthening and Child Abuse Prevention

Research has identified a number of evidence-based and evidence-informed programs and practices that strengthen families and reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. National registries and websites provide more detailed information about particular programs. This section highlights some of the overarching program types that may be implemented in many different ways, with varying degrees of effectiveness. Readers are encouraged to evaluate the level of evidence available for any specific program, as well as to consider its appropriateness for specific families and communities.

• Family-centered interventions. The most effective prevention programs are alert to the entire family situation and view children in the context of their families. These programs focus on the relationships between the child's emotional needs and the parents' mental health, coping abilities, and social and economic resources (Schorr, 1997).
• Individualized community supports. Community-based supports such as child care and respite care services, pre-kindergarten and preschool programs, information and job referral assistance, and adult educational opportunities can help strengthen and support at-risk families. The type of services and resources needed will depend on family circumstances. An individualized approach contributes to family well-being and health while strengthening client-provider relationships (Dunst & Trivette, 2001).
• In-home services. Programs that provide in-home services to new and expectant parents promote positive parenting and prevent child maltreatment. Research on some home visitation programs has shown improvements in parenting attitudes, the home environment, birth outcomes, maternal depression, short- and long-term child health and development, family economic well-being, and in many cases, child maltreatment rates (Harding, Galano, Martin, Huntington, & Schellenbach, 2007; Gomby, Culross, & Behrman, 1999).
• Family-centered community building. Community building is a collaborative effort that brings together community leaders, families, and other stakeholders to coordinate services that support and strengthen families. A study of several Chicago neighborhoods found that community building initiatives that engage family residents and community stakeholders in sustained collaborative efforts have a positive impact on long-term family outcomes. These efforts may include family mentoring services, training programs for mentors, working with faith-based communities, and partnerships with local businesses (Family Strengthening Policy Center, 2005).
• Parent education. Successful parent education programs help parents acquire and internalize parenting and problem-solving skills necessary to build a healthy family. Research has shown that effective parent training and family interventions promote protective factors and lead to positive outcomes for both parents and children. Other research points to the importance of skill-based parent education programs that provide opportunities for parents to practice with their children and receive feedback and coaching (Lundahl & Harris, 2006; Kaminski, Valle, Filene, & Boyle, 2008).

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Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based/Evidence-Informed Programs and Practices

Selecting and implementing the appropriate evidence-based or evidence-informed programs and practices can be daunting. The FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, with the help of State and national partners, developed Integrating Evidence-Based Practices into CBCAP Programs: A Tool for Critical Discussions. This Discussion Tool was designed to promote conversations and careful thought to guide child abuse and neglect prevention programs in the selection, implementation, documentation, and evaluation of evidence-based or evidence-informed programs and practices.

The Discussion Tool was developed for use in a training environment with a skilled technical assistance provider. However, FRIENDS has made the Discussion Tool's Introduction and Appendices available on its website.

For more information about the Discussion Tool, visit: www.friendsnrc.org/resources/evidence.htm#reslink

The following online resources identify evidence-based programs. This is not an endorsement or an exhaustive list of such resources. It is important to note that each registry may use different criteria to evaluate the strength of a program's supporting evidence.

Blueprints for Violence Prevention (Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence)
www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints

California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org

Guide for Child Welfare Administrators on Evidence Based Practice (National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators)
www.aphsa.org/home/doc/Guide-for-Evidence-Based-Practice.pdf (PDF - 55 KB)

Model Programs Guide (The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
www.dsgonline.com/mpg2.5

National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
nrepp.samhsa.gov

Promising Practices Network
www.promisingpractices.net/about_ppn.asp

In addition, Identifying and Selecting Evidence-Based Interventions, published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, offers guidance on how to determine which evidence-based practices and programs are the best fit for a specific organization's goals: download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/csap/spfsig/Final_SPFGuidance_Jan04_2007.pdf

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References

Dunst, C., & Trivette, C. (2001). Parenting supports and resources, help-giving practices, and parenting confidences. Asheville, NC: Winterberry Press.

Family Strengthening Policy Center. (2005). Family-centered community building. Retrieved July 7, 2008, from www.nassembly.org/fspc/practice/documents/9CommunityBuilding.pdf (PDF - 92 KB)

FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. (2008). Integrating evidence-based practices into CBCAP programs: A tool for critical discussions. Retrieved October 1, 2008, from www.friendsnrc.org/resources/evidence.htm#reslink

Gomby, D. S., Culross, P. L., & Behrman, R. E. (1999). Home visiting: Recent program evaluations—analysis and recommendations. Future of Children, 9(1), 4–26.

Harding, K., Galano, J., Martin, J., Huntington, L., & Schellenbach, C. (2007). Healthy Families America effectiveness: A comprehensive review of outcomes. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 34(1/2), 149–179.

Kaminski, J. W., Valle, L. A., Filene, J. H., & Boyle, C. L. (2008). A meta-analytic review of components associated with parent training program effectiveness. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36(4), 567–589.

Lundahl, B. W., & Harris, N. (2006). Delivering parent training to families at risk to abuse: Lessons from three meta-analyses. Columbus, OH: American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.

Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children's Bureau. (2007). Guidelines for CBCAP lead agencies on evidence-based and evidence-informed programs and practices: Learning along the way. Retrieved July 12, 2008, from, www.friendsnrc.org/download/part/2007CBCAP%20Guidelines.pdf (PDF - 167 KB)

Schorr, L. (1997). Common purpose: Strengthening families and neighborhoods to rebuild America. New York, NY: Anchor Books Doubleday.

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previous

You are in section: Table of Contents Letter From the Children’s Bureau About the Resource Guide Protective Factors for Strengthening… Levers for Change: Deepening and Sustaining… Using Evidence to Support Efforts… Promoting the Five Protective… Nurturing and Attachment Knowledge of Parenting and… Parental Resilience Social Connections Concrete Supports for Parents Tools for Engaging Your Community Engaging Community Partners Tips for Working With Specific Groups Talking Points Temas de conversación Sample Press Release for National… Ejemplo de boletín de prensa Sample Public Service Announcements Ejemplo de anuncio de servicio público… Sample Letter to Legislators Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Child Maltreatment National Child Abuse Prevention Partners Federal Interagency Work Group on Child… Using the Tip Sheets for Parents and Caregivers Bonding With Your Baby Usted y su bebé: El lazo que los une Dealing With Temper Tantrums Los berrinches Connecting With Your Teen Cómo relacionarse con su hijo adolescente Teen Parents...You’re Not Alone! Hay muchos padres adolescentes como usted Ten Ways to Be a Better Dad Diez maneras de ser un mejor padre Raising Your Grandchildren Cómo criar al hijo de un pariente

next

To view or order materials available from the 2009 Resource Guide, please visit our website at: http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/res_guide_2009/

We value your opinion!
Please comment on this publication by taking our brief survey. Your answers are anonymous and will help us better meet your future information needs. Give Us Feedback on This Publication

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Updated on October 9, 2009