Guide to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth

UCLA FAMILY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

OVERVIEW

The UCLA Family Development Project is a relationship-based home visiting program for pregnant mothers who are at risk for inadequate parenting. This intervention is designed to start in the third trimester and continue until the infant is 24 months old. In an experimental evaluation of the program, researchers found that the Family Development Project was effective in increasing the mothers’ responsiveness to their child’s needs as well as the mothers’ encouragement of infant autonomy and task involvement. Children in the program were also more secure, autonomous, task involved compared with those who did not receive the intervention.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: pregnant or new mothers who are in poverty and lack social support

This home visiting program was created based on previous literature and evaluations of other home visiting programs attempted in past studies. Based on those findings, the UCLA researchers created the Family Development Project with 5 goals: 1) Decrease maternal depression and anxiety; 2) Increase partner and family support; 3) Increase responsiveness of the new mothers and increase infant security in attachment to their mothers; 4) Encourage child autonomy; and 5) Encourage child task involvement. To realize these goals, a social worker begins visiting the mother’s home weekly during the third trimester of her pregnancy. During these visits, the worker’s goal is to establish trust and give social support to the expecting mother. Then, the visits focus on giving positive reinforcement to the mother to increase her sense of competence. Finally, the mother receives specific interventions designed to increase her knowledge in parenting, family systems, and infant health. The mother also receives referrals to other health programs and additional contacts for support as needed.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Heinicke, C. M., Fineman, N. R., Ruth, G., Recchia, S. L., Guthrie, D., & Rodning, C. (1999). Relationship-based intervention with at-risk mothers: Outcome in the first year of life. Infant Mental Health Journal, 20(4), 349-374.

Heinicke, C. M., Goorsky, M., Moscov, S., Dudley, K., Gordon, J., Schneider, C., & Guthrie, D. (2000). Relationship-based intervention with at-risk mothers: Factors affecting variations in outcome. Infant Mental Health Journal, 21(3), 133-155.

Evaluated population: 64 first time mothers who were receiving prenatal care at the UCLA OB/GYN and Pediatric Continuity Care Clinics. All mothers in the study were poor, lacked social support, had histories of abuse, and potential to return to drug abuse. The average age of the mother was 24 years and mothers had, on average, a high school education. 19% of the sample was African-American, 36% was Caucasian, 42% was Latina, and 3% was Asian-American.

Approach: To qualify, mothers could not have serious health complications in their family, have a DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis, or be currently using drugs. Additionally, mothers had to speak English, live within 20 minutes of the hospital, be at least 17 years of age, and fit the description for “at-risk”. At-risk status was determined by the mother’s current social/economic status, current mental health, and the presence of traumatic events in her past. Poverty and lack of support were the primary risks. The qualifying mothers were then randomly assigned to either a “home visiting” condition which received the Family Development Project intervention and a “pediatric follow-up” condition which received normal health checkups from the UCLA clinic. Parents receiving the intervention were visited by a social worker once per week starting in the third week of her pregnancy. After birth, the worker continued to visit the mother’s home each week until the child was 1 year old. At this time, visits became biweekly for the next year until the termination of the program at the child’s second birthday.

Mothers and children who participated in the evaluation were monitored during home observations when the child was 1, 6, and 12 months old. At the baseline assessment before the birth of the child, the mother was given an intelligence scale and the Maternal Support Interview. At 6 and 12 months after birth, children were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. At 14 months, the child was also given the Ainsworth Strange Situation procedure in a test laboratory.

Results: Mothers in the intervention group were found to be more responsive to the needs of their infants than those in the control group when the baby was 12 months old. Likewise, mothers in the intervention also encouraged their infant’s autonomy and task involvement and used restriction and punishment less. Children in the intervention group were described more secure, autonomous, and task-involved than children in the control group. Mothers in the intervention group were just as likely to have depressive and anxiety related symptoms compared with the control group, but they experienced more partner and family support. Children in the intervention did not differ from the control group children on measures of cognitive functioning.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

References

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: First-time mothers, and infant - 2 years / Program age ranges in the Guide: prenatal, early childhood

Program components: clinic-based, provider-based, or miscellaneous; home visiting; parent or family component

Measured outcomes: education and cognitive development; social and emotional health and development; mental health

Program information last updated 7/19/07