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Healthy Families Program

Report

The goals of the Healthy Families Program are the prevention of child abuse and neglect and the promotion of child development and wellness. To determine whether the program was effective in preventing child abuse, we compared rates of CPS reports received by Healthy Families participants to rates of a comparison group. Unlike our previous report, this study found no differences between the two groups. Both the Healthy Families participants and the comparison group members had substantiated reports of child abuse rates that were less than 2%. We did find that after six months in the program participants reported reduced stress in some areas, including parental competence, attachment, and isolation.

Consistent with our previous report, the program was successful in enhancing children’s health and improving their home environment. Specifically, Healthy Families participants showed positive outcomes in health-related measures, including immunization rates and assessments of children’s physical and social development. In addition, home safety assessments showed that parents also took measures to ensure their children’s safety in the home.