3-149 - Taking Evidence-Based Home Visiting to Scale: Lessons Learned From MIECHV-Funded Evaluations

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Home visiting programs buffer the effects of risk factors and stress in the family and support positive health and development for children and families who participate (Avellar & Supplee, 2013). Broad support at the state and federal levels has prompted the expansion of home-based support services throughout the nation. With this expansion, it is increasingly important to conduct well-designed, rigorous research and evaluation that contributes to the scientific knowledge base about scaling up home visiting around the country. Every state awarded competitive funding through a Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program expansion grant is required to conduct an implementation or impact evaluation. This symposium will share findings from three state MIECHV evaluations in Florida, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin. The discussant, who leads the MIECHV evaluation in Texas, will highlight how the findings from Texas align with the findings shared from the other state evaluations. All four states provide voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to at-risk pregnant women and parents with young children. Each evaluation provides practical information that can inform home visiting program implementation and increase understanding about taking evidence-based home visiting to scale. The evaluations presented in this symposium address the many factors related to family engagement and retention (Massachusetts and Florida), how home visiting mitigates intergenerational trauma (Wisconsin), and how the level of family risk is related to parenting and child outcomes (Texas). Each presentation will include information about the design of the state evaluation, key findings, and implications for the field at large.

Sub Unit

• Prevention and Interventions

Chair

• Kaeley Benson, University of Texas at Austin

Discussant

• Cynthia Osborne, University of Texas at Austin

Individual Presentations

• Mothers’ Engagement in Home visiting as a Function of Fathers’ Formal and Informal Involvement - Presenting Author: Lauren E Stargel, Tufts University; Non-Presenting Author: Rebecca Fauth, Tufts University; Non-Presenting Author: Jessica Goldberg, Tufts University

• Engagement and Retention in Florida MIECHV Programs - Presenting Author: Jennifer Marshall, University of South Florida; Non-Presenting Author: Ngozichukwuka Agu, University of South Florida; Non-Presenting Author: Dogeli Rojas, University of South Florida; Non-Presenting Author: Rema Ramakrishnan, University of South Florida; Non-Presenting Author: Vanessa Sharon, University of South Florida

• Making the Case for Two-Generation Programs to Prevent Intergenerational Trauma - Presenting Author: Joshua Patrick Mersky, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Non-Presenting Author: Colleen Emily Janczewski, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Non-Presenting Author: Chien-Ti Lee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Non-Presenting Author: James Topitzes, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee