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.
Final Report: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Home Visiting Services in Promoting Children's Adjustment in School (PDF - 689 KB)
Kirkland & Mitchell-Herzfeld (2012)
New York State Office of Children and Family Services & Pew Charitable Trusts
Examines the effects of a strengths-based home visiting program, Healthy Families New York, which was based on Healthy Families America, on the academic adjustment of children following their transition to school.
HFA Evaluation Results
Healthy Families America
Summaries of evaluation studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of Healthy Families programs.
Initial Findings from a Randomized, Controlled Trial of Healthy Families Massachusetts: Early Program Impacts on Young Mothers' Parenting (PDF - 576 KB)
Easterbrooks, Jacobs, Bartlett, Goldberg, Contreras, & Kotake (2012)
Offers an evaluation on Healthy Families Massachusetts, a statewide child maltreatment prevention home-visiting program for first-time young parents, that examined the program's impact on child maltreatment and parenting in a sample of young mothers.
State and local examples
Does Home Visiting Benefit Only First-time Mothers?: Evidence From Healthy Families Virginia
Huntington & Galano (2013)
Zero to Three, 33(3)
Reviews a study that compares the outcomes of mothers who have had previous births and first time mothers participating in early home-visiting programs and provides findings that measured three aspects of participation: time in the program, the number of home visits, and the intensity of services.
Healthy Families America Home Visitation Services
City of Lincoln Health Department, Community Health Services
Defines home visiting and its associated benefits, provides a brief program model description of Healthy Families America in Nebraska, and highlights program services provided to families. Contact information and resources are listed.
Healthy Families Florida
Describes the program and offers a map of projects across the State. The website also provides resources for professionals, families, and the media, and information on research and evaluations.
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.