Benefits of Increased Home-Visitation Services

Abstract

This study examined outcome measures of a home-visitation program that provided services to first-born children and their parents. Home-visitation workers conducted pretest-posttest assessments for prenatal and postpartum periods for 109 families. Families were assessed using the Revised North Carolina Family Assessment Scale. Paired sample t tests were used to assess effect. Ordinary least squares regression measured effect of increased home-visitation services on family well-being. In this study, program participants displayed significantly higher posttest scores on social support, caregiver characteristics, family interaction measures, and a reduction in personal problems affecting parenting. Improved scores were significantly related to increased numbers of home-visitation services. The results are promising as participants were observed to make positive improvements in family resiliency.