Impact of Family Development Services on Family Health

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 Questions/Aims

  • 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

Table 1. Outcome Areas and Primary Study Measures

Outcome

Measure/Scale

Description

Unit

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Table 2. Outcome Areas and Secondary Study Measures

Outcome

Measure/Scale

Description

Unit

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

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

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

 

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.


Family sitting together talking with consultant
Grantee and Partner organizations

OMNI Institute
Family Resource Center Association
Sister Carmen Community Center
Mountain Family Center
La Plata Family Centers Coalition

Grant status
Completed
Project Director(s)
Melissa Richmond, PhD
Sara Bayless, PhD
Start date
Award amount
$435,328
Duration
36 months

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