Lay Therapy Intervention With Families at Risk for Parenting Diffculties: The Kempe Community Caring Program

• NCJ Number: 205661
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 25 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2001 Pages: 641-655
• Author(s): Jane Gray; Patricia Spurway; Maureen McClatchey
• Date Published: May 2001
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study tested the hypothesis that certain categories of the Scale of Family Functioning would be more amenable than others to change through lay therapy intervention with families at risk of having parenting difficulties.

Abstract

Categories of the Scale expected to improve through lay therapy were social support, self-esteem, confidence as a parent, expectations, affective relationship, and sensitivity to caregiving functions. The other two categories of the Scale, family conflict and stability/basic needs, were expected to be less amenable to change. The study focused on the Kempe Community Caring Program (KCCP) at the C. Henry Kempe National Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect (now known as the Kempe Children's Center). The KCCP is a universal home visitation program designed to support first-time families by providing home visitation for up to a year after the baby's birth. Data for this report were collected between 1990-99, although the program continues with some modifications. Families were assessed for the risk of parenting difficulties by using the Parent Readiness and Risk Assessment Checklists. Lay therapists completed the Scale of Family Functioning at preintervention and postintervention with 108 high-risk families. These families were provided with support, education, and referrals to treatment providers. Paired t tests were performed to determine whether the eight categories of the Scale of Family Functioning improved from baseline to termination of the service. Four categories of the Scale showed statistically significant improvement, i.e., social support, self-esteem, confidence as a parent, and affective relationship. Thus, lay therapy through home visitation programs was found to improve some areas of family functioning. Longer periods of intervention and an increased attention to improving parent/infant interactions may increase parental sensitivity and expectations. As predicted, the Scale categories of family conflict and stability/meeting basic needs did not improve under lay therapy. 6 tables and 15 references