First-time mothers in home visitation services utilizing child development specialists

✍ Scribed by Anne McDonald Culp; Rex E. Culp; Tamara Hechtner-Galvin; Christina S. Howell; Tara Saathoff-Wells; Pam Marr

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 172 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0163-9641
• DOI: 10.1002/imhj.10086

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Professionals in the field of child development were employed to provide home visitation services to 156 mothers and infants prenatally through the infants' first birthdays. Compared to a control group of mothers (n = 107), the intervention mothers utilized more community resources, had safer homes, had more appropriate developmental expectations, had better understanding of noncorporal punishment, and had behaviors that were more accepting and respectful to their infants. The home visitors were well educated, with experience in home visitation, and supervised. Program implementation procedures were documented and supervised. Program fidelity and the efficacy of using child development specialists as home visitors are discussed in regards to the positive findings. ©2004 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.