New study indicates that large-scale implementation of the Parents as Teachers home visiting results in a 22 percent reduction of child abuse and neglect

The research represents one of the largest studies in the U.S. conducted to investigate the impact of home visiting on child maltreatment, including nearly 8,000 families. Researchers found a 22 percent decreased likelihood of substantiated cases of child maltreatment as reported by Child Protective Services data when comparing two groups of children born to first-time mothers. Children whose mothers received home visiting were compared to children whose mothers where eligible for home visiting but did not receive the services.

According to the latest 2015 Child Maltreatment Report, published in January 2017 by the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the highest rate of child abuse is in children under one year of age. In Pennsylvania, it is also the youngest children who experience the highest rates; in 2015, the rate of substantiated child abuse for children ages birth to five is 131 per 100,000.

"This study is an important demonstration of the work we're doing right here in Pennsylvania to build positive interactions between parents and infants and young children," said Shileste Overton Morris, Center for Schools and Communities director. "Parents as Teachers can stop abuse and neglect before it occurs."

"In our Parents as Teachers home visiting program, which involves 55 affiliates across Pennsylvania, we work closely with families to build a trusting relationship to address critical parenting issues and behaviors that promote protective factors or the conditions that reduce or eliminate risk, said Karen Shanoski, Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers state office leader at Center for Schools and Communities. "Our trained professionals promote healthy development and well-being of children right in the home. The families we serve are often dealing with extreme poverty, depression, substance abuse and teen parenting. This new research verifies that the program we're using has a significant impact," Shanoski said.

"As our state decision-makers debate how best to invest public funding, they should consider programs like ours that are proven by research to work effectively. Parents as Teachers is a family-centered, results-driven approach and is a cost-effective solution for Pennsylvania," Overton Morris said.

About Center for Schools and Communities and Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers
Center for Schools and Communities is a consulting and training organization that provides services in family support and early childhood care and development, social and emotional learning, positive youth development, school safety, cultural competence and education leadership. Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers (PAT) State Office at Center for Schools and Communities provides implementation support to PAT affiliates through site visits, monthly webinars and resources, conferences and national parent-educator certification courses. In Pennsylvania, PAT reached 5,631 families with 7,410 children in 2016-2017 model services. For more information, visit www.Center-School.org.

About Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers builds strong communities, thriving families and children that are healthy, safe and ready to learn by matching parents and caregivers with trained professionals during a child's earliest years in life, from pregnancy through kindergarten. Parents as Teachers internationally recognized evidence-based home visiting model is backed by 35 years of research with proven outcomes for children and families and currently serves 121,000 families in 50 U.S. states, 115 Tribal organizations, five other countries and one U.S. territory. Parents as Teachers is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Parents as Teachers affiliates operate in various settings, including health departments, hospitals, schools, faith-based and non -profit organizations. For more information, visit www.parentsasteachers.org or Twitter @NatlPAT.

Child Abuse & Neglect, The International Journal is available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/child-abuse-and-neglect

The 2015 Child Maltreatment Report is available at
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-maltreatment-2015

Contact: Aylissa Kiely
[email protected]
717-903-0219

SOURCE Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers