Family support programs: A quasi-experimental evaluation

Abstract

The results are presented of quasi-experimental evaluation of three demonstration family support programs sponsored by a state child and family services agency. Three hundred and sixty-five family support participants and 265 comparison group participants matched at the community level completed surveys measuring four intermediate treatment outcomes, that is, level of depression, perceived social support, knowledge of child development, and punitive attitudes toward child-rearing. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the contribution of participant's age, parenting status, race, type of program from which services were received, and number of contacts with programs to these four intermediate outcomes. Across-site analyses revealed little relationship between receipt of family support services and measures of parenting. Analyses of each site with its matched comparison group found that type of program was significantly related to depression and perceived social support (inner city site), perceived social support and punitive attitudes (small city site), and depression and perceived social support (rural site). The direction of these relationships were opposite of those originally hypothesized. These findings are discussed from methodological and service delivery perspectives.