Project Summary
The project team is determining the degree to which a scalable, community-based model of family supportive services is effective at improving family health and wellbeing. The intervention group receives Family Development (FD) services, which includes meetings with a FD worker to set and work towards family-driven goals using a strengths-based, family-centered approach.
Research Question(s)
- Do families with access to FD services demonstrate more progress toward economic security, increased family resiliency and supports, and improved health outcomes?
Actionability
- Inform statewide and national investments in family development services, by demonstrating whether and how such programs impact family health and well being.
Outcomes
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Table 1. Outcome Areas and Primary Study Measures |
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Outcome |
Measure/Scale |
Description |
Unit |
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Economic Security |
Colorado Family Support Assessment, 2.0 (CFSA 2.0), Economic Self-Sufficiency Scale (ESS) |
Interview: Assesses family self-reliance in 8 areas on a scale of 1 (in crisis) to 5 (thriving) |
Family |
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Family Resources Scale-Revised (FRS--R) – Money and Basic Needs Scales |
Self-report: 5 items that assess families’ availability of monetary resources, and 7 items that assess families’ access to resources to cover basic needs on a scale of 1 (not at all adequate) to 5 (almost always adequate) |
Family |
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Family Resiliency & Supports |
CFSA 2.0, Protective Factors Survey (PFS) |
Self-report/Interview: Assesses 5 factors that protect against child abuse and neglect on a scale of 1 (never/strongly disagree) to 7 (always/strongly agree) |
Family |
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FRS-R – Time for Self and Time for Family Scales |
Self-report: 6 items and 2 items (respectively) that assess families’ access to resources to support time for self and time for family on a scale of 1 (not at all adequate) to 5 (almost always adequate) |
Head of Household/ Family |
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Health & Wellbeing |
CFSA 2.0, Health Scale |
Interview: Assesses family health in 2 areas (physical and mental) on a scale of 1 (in crisis) to 5 (thriving) |
Family |
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Healthy Days Core Module of the Health-Related Quality of Life Measure (CDC HRQL-4) |
Self-report: 4 items that include a general assessment of overall health on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), assessments of physical and mental health, and assessment of how health has impeded daily life as measured by number of days in past month |
Head of Household |
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Table 2. Outcome Areas and Secondary Study Measures |
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Outcome |
Measure/Scale |
Description |
Unit |
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Economic Security |
Self-Sufficiency Standard in Colorado |
Calculated from self-reported income, family composition, and county: Assesses degree to which family earnings meet basic needs |
Family |
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Health & Wellbeing |
Global Rating of Child Health |
Parent-report: Single-item report of a target child’s global health in comparison to other children of same age on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) |
Child |
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Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) |
Self-report: 10 items that assess the appraisal of stress in one’s life over the past month on a scale of 0 (never) to 4 (very often) |
Head of Household |
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Methodology
Multisite randomized parallel-group design in which families at three Family Resource Centers in urban and rural regions are randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition.
OMNI Institute
Family Resource Center Association
Sister Carmen Community Center
Mountain Family Center
La Plata Family Centers Coalition