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| Addressing the needs of infants and toddlers exposed to maltreatment: examining the impact of an integrated early Head Start and Children and Youth Services program | |
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| Investigator (PI): | Wallace, Laura; Manz, Patricia |
| Performing Organization (PO): |
(Current): Lehigh University, College of Education, School Psychology Program / (610) 758-3268 |
| Supporting Agency (SA): | United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) |
| Initial Year: | 2017 |
| Final Year: | 2019 |
| Record Source/Award ID: | RePorter/0YR0102 |
| Funding: | 2017 Award Amount: $24,998 |
| Award Type: | Grant |
| Abstract: | In 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 4 million abuse referrals were made to Child Protective Services involving 7.2 million children, and that 58.2% of these reports were substantiated (USDHHS, ACYF, 2017). Abuse and maltreatment is particularly damaging in the first years of life as it may cause long-term negative impacts on brain growth and development (Glaser, 2014). Children who are the victims of early abuse and neglect suffer from social, academic, and behavioral challenges throughout their life (Romano, Babchishin, Marquis, & Frechette, 2015). In 2002, the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect in the Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, established the Early Head Start Child Welfare System Initiative as a joint effort between the Office of Head Start and the Children's Bureau. Funding was provided to 24 grantee sites to increase integrated delivery of services to infants and toddlers who were involved in the child welfare system. SafeStart, an integrated Early Head Start/Children and Youth Services program was one of the original sites, and has remained as one of the few operational programs. SafeStart serves children between the ages of birth and 3 and provides both Early Head Start center-based and home visiting services to children and families. These services are delivered in collaboration with Children and Youth Services. Given the uniqueness and demonstrated need for integrated service systems for maltreated children, it is crucial to evaluate programs that have been established and maintained. This project is designed to evaluate the impact of SafeStart, an integrated EHS/Children and Youth Services program, on child and family outcomes. Specifically, this project will examine how contextual child and family factors at the time of enrollment, duration of enrollment, age at enrollment, and transitions and attrition are related to child outcomes while exploring what combination of factors put families at greatest risk for negative outcomes. Moreover, the project will use a community-based participatory research approach (Nastasi et al., 2000) to develop and strengthen relationships among crucial stakeholders, including local policy makers. Study findings will be applied to enhance the SafeStart program and to strengthen relationships between interagency programs and local legislature. |
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| Country: | United States |
| State: | Pennsylvania |
| Zip Code: | 18015 |
| UI: | 20182331 |
| Project Status: | Completed |