Directions for Smart Start Family Support Presentation to NCPEN Dec. 12, 2006

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Directions for Smart Start Family
SupportPresentation to NCPENDec. 12, 2006
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Findings of The National Evaluationof Family
Support
Smart Start Accomplishments

• Level of effectLevel of Investment
• No single program to address all needs
• Most parent education programs had modest gains

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Strategies with Strongest Effects

• Focused on specific types of families
• Effective with some vulnerable populations, such
  as teenage moms, children with behavior problems,
  or special needs child
• Professional staff
• Long-term and intensive

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Reaching All Children in NC

• In 2000, NC census data showed that 24 of
  children 0-5 were in regulated care.
• In 1995, the US Dept of Ed. found that children
  less likely to be in regulated care were
• From low-income families
• From families where the mothers education level
  was high school or less
• From homes where English was not the primary
  language

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The Family Support/School Readiness Paper

• Five Domains of School Readiness
• Physical Health
• Social Emotional
• Approaches to Learning
• Language Development
• Cognition General Knowledge

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Looking at Outcomes for Guidance

• Start with identifying the outcomes that relate
  to school readiness and use that as a starting
  point.
• Then use a logic model to look at
  models/approaches, etc. that can achieve those
  outcomes.

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Smart Start Family Support Outcomes

• Family Support Activities funded by Smart Start
  should impact at least one of the following
  areas
• Healthy child development
• Positive parent child interactions
• Positive parent child relationships
• Positive parenting
• Family Literacy

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LETS WORK TOGETHER

• Remember, no one program can meet the needs of
  all families
• Assemble a group committed to designing a
  COMPREHENSIVE array of family support services in
  your community

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Take Time to Complete a Needs Resources
Assessment

• Focus on strengths and resources
• Usually not a quick undertaking

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Choose an Evidence-Based Practice

• Rationale
• Limited effect of general family support and
  parent education programs shown in research.
• Best results have been with programs that have
  been replicated with high fidelity to a evidence-
  based model.

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AN IDEAL STRATEGY

• The Family Support Community of Partners works
  together to provide a continuum of family support
  services that will meet the varying needs of
  different families at different points in their
  development.

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Common Characteristics of Successful Programs

• Long-term intensive
• Work with both parent child
• Grounded in child development
• Are relationship-based
• Begin as early as possible
• Are integrated into existing networks
• Focus on parent-child interaction
• Focus on a specific population

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Critical Components of Effective Programs

• CLOSE ATTENTION TO
• Program Engagement and Enrollment
• Retaining Families
• Intensity of Services
• Staff
• Voluntary services
• Culturally appropriate services
• Record keeping

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Current Program Improvement Iniatives

• More stringent new activity approval process
• PAT Nurturing Technical Assistance
• Writing Effective Practice paper on Court Ordered
  and mandated Parent Education
• Family Support Learning Collaboratives
• Close working relationship with other state
  family support partners

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Questions

• Contact Information
• Emmy Marshall
• NCPC Family Support Consultant
• 919-821-9575
• emarshall_at_ncsmartstart.org
• www.ncsmartstart.org

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Questions? THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!