Black or African American
46%
Kirkland, K., & Mitchell-Herzfeld, S. (2012). Evaluating the effectiveness of home visiting services in promoting children’s adjustment in school: Final report to the Pew Center on the States. Rensselaer, NY: New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Bureau of Evaluation and Research.
Model(s): Healthy Families America (HFA)®
Study design characteristics contributing to rating
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors? | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | High |
Established on race and SES. Baseline equivalence on outcomes not feasible. |
None |
Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed under Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1 |
Child Development and School Readiness
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days absent | 1st grade | Moderate | 1.37 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 577 mother/child dyads | Healthy Families New York (HFNY) RCT, Year 7 | |
| Doing poorly academically | 1st grade | Moderate | 0.07 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 577 mother/child dyads | Healthy Families New York (HFNY) RCT, Year 7 | |
| Doing poorly academically - Any of the 3 behaviors that promote learning | 1st grade | Moderate | 0.03 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 577 mother/child dyads | Healthy Families New York (HFNY) RCT, Year 7 | |
| Doing poorly academically - Reading or Math | 1st grade | Moderate | 0.14 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 577 mother/child dyads | Healthy Families New York (HFNY) RCT, Year 7 | |
| Excelling academically | 1st grade | Moderate | 0.19 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 577 mother/child dyads | Healthy Families New York (HFNY) RCT, Year 7 | |
| Excelling academically - All 3 behaviors that promote learning | 1st grade | Moderate | 0.36 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 577 mother/child dyads | Healthy Families New York (HFNY) RCT, Year 7 | |
| Excelling academically - Reading and Math | 1st grade | Moderate | 0.01 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 577 mother/child dyads | Healthy Families New York (HFNY) RCT, Year 7 | |
| Retained in first grade | 1st grade | Moderate | 0.44 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 577 mother/child dyads | Healthy Families New York (HFNY) RCT, Year 7 |
This study included participants from the following locations:
- New York
Study Participants
Community agencies, including prenatal care providers and hospitals, screened expectant parents and parents with an infant younger than 3 months of age who lived in high-risk target areas and who were considered to be at risk for child abuse or neglect. Women were selected for the study following the same screening and assessment procedures used to determine eligibility for Healthy Families New York (HFNY). Family assessment workers (FAWs) obtained informed consent from women before the administration of a well-established risk assessment tool. In total 1,254 mothers were randomly assigned (intervention, n = 621; control, n = 633), and 1,173 mothers (intervention, n = 579; control, n = 594) completed baseline interviews. This study reported on the Year 7 follow-up for this study sample, with the authors matching Grade 1 school records when possible for study children whose mothers provided consent for the record collection. This results in an analysis sample size of 577 children (intervention, n = 288; control, n = 289). In this analysis sample, 36 percent of the mothers were white, non-Latina; 46 percent were African American, non-Latina; and 16 percent were Latina. Fifty-six percent of the study children were the first child for mothers in the study; 47 percent of mothers had a high school diploma or equivalent, and 28 percent were receiving cash assistance at random assignment. The authors’ estimation of annual earnings for mothers in the analysis sample was $5,173.
Setting
This study took place in three sites within the HFNY home visiting program.
Intervention condition
Note: Navigate to the model page for more information about the home visiting model. See the source manuscript for more information about how the model was implemented in this study.
Comparison Conditions
The control group was given information on and received referrals to appropriate services other than home visiting.
Funding Sources
The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Pew Center on the States, Grant #2010-0588.