Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: This project was a partnership between families and their medical home to develop a demonstration model for care coordination for environmentally at-risk infants and toddlers in low-income culturally diverse urban and rural settings. The families were being served as part of the eligible population under P.L. 99–457, with an individualized family support plan (IFSP) developed for each family. The target population included many families of different ethnic origins. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Children with Special Health care Needs, Cultural Diversity, Families, Family Centered Health Care, Family Support Programs, Hawaiians, Health Promotion, Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children, Low Income Population, PL 99-457, Parents, Preschool Children, Primary Care, Rural Population, Service Coordination, Urban Population

Annotation: This evidence review examines the effectiveness of evidence-based home visiting programs where trained professionals or paraprofessionals provide comprehensive in-home support and education to parents. The review focuses specifically on impacts on parenting outcomes among families with children under age 3, analyzing findings from five rigorous meta-analyses. These programs show small but positive effects on parenting skills and behaviors, though evidence is less consistent for other outcomes. As of 2021, evidence-based home visiting programs were implemented in all 50 states, five territories, and 122 tribal communities, serving over 277,000 families through more than 3 million home visits, though this represents only 0.16% of eligible families. States vary in their funding approaches, with some utilizing Medicaid, federal MIECHV grants, state funds, and other sources. The document explores program history, theoretical foundations, implementation models, funding mechanisms, and evidence of effectiveness, particularly highlighting impacts on nurturing parent-child relationships. It includes detailed state-by-state data on program reach and funding structures. The review concludes that while home visiting shows promise for improving parenting skills, more research is needed to identify the most effective program components and implementation strategies.

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Keywords: Evaluation, Home visiting, MCH programs, Parent support services, Parenting skills

Annotation: This brief highlights home visiting models, affiliates, and initiatives serving the needs of adolescent parents. Examples include Teen Parent Connection: A Healthy Families America Affiliate, Family Spirit, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Show Me Strong (SMSF): A Parents as Teachers Initiative. The brief concludes with key service delivery features for consideration by other programs.

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Keywords: Adolescent parents, Family support services, Home visiting, Parent support programs, Pregnant adolescents

Annotation: This fact sheet describes a systematic review of home visiting research to determine which home visiting program models have sufficient evidence to meet U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) criteria for an "evidence-based early childhood home visiting service delivery model." The brief also summarizes the evidence of effectiveness for the 20 program models that met DHHS criteria. Topics include favorable and sustained program impacts on primary and secondary outcome measures and whether or not the model has been replicated.

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Keywords: Child health, Early childhood development, Family support programs, Home visiting, Maternal health, Measures, Model programs, Outcome evaluation, Parenting, Research, School readiness, Sustainability, Young children

Annotation: This report reviews research on parenting practices and identifies effective practices. The report also recommends ways agencies and others can support interventions that help more parents learn about effective parenting practices. A brief and webinar are also available.

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Keywords: Child care, Home visiting, Parenting support services, Prevention programs, Research

Annotation: This web-based community for parents provides personalized content to reduce family risks and optimize parenting resourcefulness, family resilience, child growth, and school readiness. The website is designed to recognize early warning signs of risk in areas of health, prenatal care, parenting skills, family functioning, and child development and will alert parents and recommend supportive resources and strategies. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Academic achievement, Child development, Child health, Community development, Domestic violence, Family economics, Family support programs, Home visiting, Injury prevention, Parenting, Program coordination, Public private partnerships, School readinesss

Annotation: This resource provides businesses with cost-effective tips and solutions for any industry setting to support women who are breastfeeding. Users can search by industry or by solutions to find creative options for space and time, as well as options for supporting women in large companies and small businesses. Topics include room amenities, breast pumps, options for handling expressed milk, education and professional support, promoting services to employees, and privacy. Videos are included.

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Keywords: Breastfeeding, Business, Employee benefits, Employer initiatives, Multimedia, Parent support programs, Policy development, Working mothers

Annotation: This report identifies the unique needs of immigrant parents across the range of expectations for parent skill, engagement, and leadership sought by early childhood education and care programs, as well as strategies for addressing these needs. Contents include selected demographics of children of immigrants and their parents, factors jeopardizing meaningful engagement, the importance of parent engagement specific to children of immigrants, federal programming, family literacy and dual-generation strategies, and adult education. Research findings and recommendations are also presented.

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Keywords: Adult education, Child care, Early childhood education, Federal programs, Immigrants, Intergenerational programs, Language barriers, Limited English speakers, Literacy education, Low literacy, Parent professional relations, Parent support services, Parents, Research, Young children

Annotation: This brief provides an overview of family support programs and identifies the features and strategies that may be most effective for reaching and engaging black and Latino families, with the ultimate goal of supporting young children's development. Contents include a synthesis of available research on parent engagement and potential barriers to their engagement in family support services and programs. Recommendations for designing, adapting, and evaluating culturally-relevant family support programs and services are also included.

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Keywords: Barriers, Child development services, Culturally competent services, Ethnic groups, Families, Family support programs, Parent participation, Parents, Research, Young children

Annotation: This paper, which focuses on the Infant Health and Development Program, a randomized multisite study of 985 low-birthweight infants and their families, examines the following three questions: (1) What are the different patterns of home visits? (2) Which child, maternal, and family demographic characteristics and qualities of the home visit are associated with these home-visitation patterns? (3) Are higher frequency patterns of home visits associated with positive effects for children's cognitive and behavioral outcomes and mothers' depression, social support, and knowledge of child development? The authors also examine the significance of the home environment. The paper includes a literature review and a description of the study method, measures, data analysis, and results.

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Keywords: Behavior disorders, Behavior problems, Child behavior, Cognitive development, Depression, Early childhood development, Families, High risk groups, Home visiting, Infant development, Infants, Low birthweight infants, Low income groups, Mothers, Parent support programs, Postpartum depression, Programs, Young children

Annotation: This fact sheet for families provides information about how foster parents can support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The fact sheet provides background information about LGBTQ youth and discusses LGBTQ youth and the child welfare system, creating a welcoming home for youth, and supporting youth in the community.

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Keywords: Access to health care, Adolescent sexuality, Adolescents, Bullying, Child welfare agencies, Community programs, Foster children, Foster parents, Homosexuality, Parent support services, Prevention, Schools, Social services, Youth, Youth development

Annotation: This report briefly examines the role of the child support enforcement agency in fatherhood programs and discusses initiatives to promote and support father-child interaction outside the parents’ relationship. The appendix contains a legislative history of federally funded Responsible Federal Fatherhood Programs.

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Keywords: Child support, Fathers, Federal programs, Parent child relations

Annotation: This report provides findings from an 18-month evaluation to examine parent outcomes for families involved with the Community Partnership's Capable Kids and Families (CKF) program and for a comparison group of non CKF families who received services from other providers. CKF supports family functioning and fosters positive developmental outcomes for families raising children with disabilities or developmental delays from birth to age 6. The report discusses the following six broad domains: (1) understanding their child's strengths and needs, (2) helping their child learn and develop, (3) learning to advocate for their child, (4) support systems, (5) access to resources, and (6) positive interactions with their child. The report also provides information about the service experiences of CKF families and indicates other areas in which the CKF program could affect family well-being that could be explored in future research.

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Keywords: Advocacy, Children with developmental disabilities, Children with special health care needs, Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Family support services, Infants with developmental disabilities, Infants with special health care needs, Parent child relations, Parenting skills, Program evaluation, Programs, Research, Service delivery systems

Annotation: This curriculum presents competencies and objectives to guide any lactation program, regardless of setting. Topics include communication and counseling; documentation and communication; history taking and assessment; prenatal and perinatal breastfeeding support; extended breastfeeding support; problem-solving skills; newborn/child breastfeeding challenges; maternal breastfeeding challenges' use of techniques and devices; public health; research, legislation, and policy; professional responsibilities and practice; and leadership and teaching. For each topic, information is provided about core competencies, learning objectives, suggested content, and suggested skills and behaviors. [Record in process]

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Keywords: Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding promotion, Breastfeeding promotion programs, Breastfeeding support, Lactation, Leadership, Legislation, Parent support services, Public health, Public policy, Research, Standards

Annotation: This brief highlights considerations, challenges, and opportunities for foundations in investing in supports for pregnant and parenting adolescents and young adults—both mothers and fathers—currently in or transitioning from foster care. Topics include early sexual behavior, pregnancy, and rates of childbearing and parenthood among young people in foster care, risk factors, and challenging outcomes. Additional challenges such as lack of national data on specific needs and challenges, lack of practice models, need for workforce training, how to best identify and support adolescent fathers, and limited application of developmentally appropriate service delivery and planning with those that remain in foster care through age 21 are discussed. Investment opportunities in research and data collection, pregnancy prevention strategies, state supports for young parents and their children, and extending eligibility and re-entry are outlined.

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Keywords: Adolescent parents, Adolescents, Family support programs, Foster care, Parent support services, Transition to independent living, Young adults

Annotation: This guide provides information and guidance for working with pregnant and parenting youth, helping them as they develop both as individuals and as parents through positive casework interactions. The guide encourages a strengths-based approach to ensure the safety of both young parents and their children. It offers suggestions for engaging young parents in conferencing and supportive services while highlighting the importance of maintaining a young parent’s right to privacy and autonomy, and emphasize comprehensive planning for pregnant young people to promote well being, to minimize the need for court intervention, to ensure placement stability and to help young families move more quickly toward permanency. The guide is designed to be used primarily by provider agency case planners, but may also be useful to child protective staff, Family Services Unit staff, parent advocates, attorneys and others who work with this vulnerable population. Topics in planning and services for young parents in out of home care include: legal issues, father participation, collaborative planning and permanency, preventive services, child safety conferences, court intervention, pregnancy-related services, medical home visiting programs, parenting supports, counseling and mental health services, education, child care, and preparing a young parent for leaving foster care. Appendices provide resources for services in adolescent reproductive health, breastfeeding, the WIC program, support services and assistance, teen father support, mentoring and mental health, housing support, legal information, education, hoe visiting, and parenting education programs. Tips sheets are provided on mandatory reporting, early care and education, public housing, and transitional Medicaid.

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Keywords: Adolescent parents, Adolescents, Child welfare, Family support services, Foster care, New York, Out of home care, Parent education, Social services, State initiatives, Youth in transition programs

Annotation: This document is a source of information and guidance for case planners in New York City in their work with parenting youth and youth planning for the arrival of their baby in foster care, and in developing appropriate service plans for these youth. It discusses roles for agency case planners in referring both expecting mothers and fathers of health and support systems, discussing the role of resource parents for minors who are expecting, securing a stable placement for expecting youth before baby arrives, as well as developing and executing permanency plans for young parents in out-of-home care. Additional information is provided on health care testing and decision-making, legal aspects of pregnancy and parenting, and understanding funding for baby's essential needs. A practice guide summary is included along with resources for community based services, housing and child care, child welfare services, medical mentoring for pregnant and parenting youth, and prevention services.

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Keywords: Adolescent parents, Adolescents, Child welfare, Family support services, Foster care, New York, Out of home care, Parent education, Social services, State initiatives, Youth in transition programs

Annotation: This fact sheet provides information about programs that work and do not work to improve outcomes for adolescent parents with low incomes and their children. The fact sheet reviews 20 parenting programs that are geared toward enhancing parents' development, educating them about effective parenting methods, or both. The fact sheet introduces the issue and reports findings for programs in six outcome areas: child outcomes: health; child outcomes: behaviors and development; parent outcomes: reproductive health; parent outcomes: mental health and behaviors; parent outcomes: education, employment, and income; and parenting outcomes. Promising approaches and future research needs are also discussed.

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Keywords: Adolescent attitudes, Adolescent behaviors, Adolescent development, Adolescent health, Adolescent parents, Child development Parent support programs, Child health, Education, Employment, Family income, High risk groups, Low income groups, Mental health, Parent support services, Parenting skills, Reproductive health, Research

Annotation: This community action guide describes the experiences of a woman and her infant daughter to point out resources that service providers, advocates, and health professionals can use to better understand and respond to the needs of families and children with problems related to mental health, substance abuse, and trauma. The guide also presents information, resources, and tips to foster unified communities that are responsive to families' needs. Topics include the importance of the birth-to-age-5 developmental stage, threats to resilience, levels of stress in young children and families, protective factors, a strategic framework for action, and moving forward. Brief descriptions of successful programs are included.

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Keywords: Advocacy, Children, Community programs, Domestic violence, Families, Family support services, High risk groups, Infants, Mental health, Parent support services, Resilience, Resource materials, Stress, Substance abuse, Vulnerability, Young children

Annotation: This report describes activities the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) undertook in 2012 to improve the health of U.S. adolescents. The report describes OAH's goals, objectives, strategies, and action steps; Goals include (1) lead national grant programs to prevent adolescent pregnancy and support pregnant and parenting adolescents and women; (2) expand evidence of what works to reduce health risk among adolescents and to effect positive adolescent development; (3) lead adolescent health policy, practice, and program development; (4) promote, communicate, and disseminate accurate information on the full range of issues related to adolescent health to multiple audiences; and (5) increase OAH's capacity to achieve optimal performance and document accomplishments.

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Keywords: Adolescent development, Adolescent health, Adolescent pregnancy, Adolescent sexuality, Federal agencies, Parent support services, Pregnant women, Prevention, Programs, Public policy, Strategic plans