Title: Directions for Smart Start Family Support Presentation to NCPEN Dec. 12, 2006
1Directions for Smart Start Family
SupportPresentation to NCPENDec. 12, 2006
2Findings 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
3Strategies 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
4Reaching 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
5The Family Support/School Readiness Paper
- Five Domains of School Readiness
- Physical Health
- Social Emotional
- Approaches to Learning
- Language Development
- Cognition General Knowledge
6Looking 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.
7Smart 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
8LETS 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
9Take Time to Complete a Needs Resources
Assessment
- Focus on strengths and resources
- Usually not a quick undertaking
10Choose 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.
11AN 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.
12Common 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
13Critical Components of Effective Programs
- CLOSE ATTENTION TO
- Program Engagement and Enrollment
- Retaining Families
- Intensity of Services
- Staff
- Voluntary services
- Culturally appropriate services
- Record keeping
14Current 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
15Questions
- Contact Information
- Emmy Marshall
- NCPC Family Support Consultant
- 919-821-9575
- emarshall_at_ncsmartstart.org
- www.ncsmartstart.org
16Questions? THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!