ARCHS has released its 2022 Healthy Families America (HFA) Home Visiting Impact Report featuring statewide and regional data. HFA is Prevent Child Abuse America’s signature program and is a nationally recognized evidence-based model designed to promote positive parenting and child well-being and prevent childhood abuse and neglect through family-focused, empathic home visiting support.
Evidence of HFA effectiveness is linked to eight domains examined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomeVEE) review. These domains include child development and school readiness; child health; family economic self-sufficiency; linkages and referrals; maternal health; positive parenting practices; reductions in child maltreatment; and reductions in juvenile delinquency, family violence, and crime.
ARCHS uses the HFA model through its Healthy Families Network that spans 42 counties across Missouri. It’s a collaborative effort between ARCHS, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Southeast Missouri State University, and six of ARCHS’ fellow community partners in the Family and Community Trust (FACT) network, including:
Healthy Families Northeast Missouri
• Northeast Missouri Caring Communities
• Families and Communities Together
• St. Joseph Youth Alliance
Healthy Families Central Missouri
• Community Partnership of the Ozarks
• The Community Partnership, Rolla
Healthy Families Southeast Missouri
• New Madrid County Human Resources Council
As a collective, ARCHS Healthy Families Network strengthens parent-child relationships, promotes healthy child development, and enhances family well-being. In these challenging times, home visiting is a vital service for families. Families who are isolated or living in crowded spaces may face more risks of domestic violence and child abuse. Home visitors can help prevent these problems by staying in touch with families and offering support. HFA national data on Missouri highlighted families show a reduced recurrence of maltreatment by one-third and 48% fewer low-birthweight infants in 2022—the most recent year with available data. Further analysis of statewide data reported that families are five times more likely to enroll in school or training programs.
In addition to data on the positive progression of families and children, data results point to unfavorable disparities inextricably linked to societal barriers. According to 2022 HFA national statistics on Missouri, 99% of families live in low-income households; 24% have a caregiver aged 21 or younger; and 26% have a caregiver with less than a high school diploma/GED. Despite these findings ARCHS’ Healthy Families Network continues to support families statewide; comprehensively, 2022 data revealed that 1,009 families were supported, and Home Visitors conducted 11,521 home visits in 2022.
In 2022 ARCHS’ Healthy Families Network accounted for 30% of families served and 31% of home visits conducted in Missouri. In real numbers, that is a total of 292 families served and 3,518 home visits completed.
The 2022 report calls attention to the positive impacts yielded relative to child health, development, safety, and familial well-being. An executive summary of results from ARCHS’ regional HFA partners reflect positive outcomes for families and children:
• ARCHS Healthy Family Network supported 292 families and 304 children, over double the number of families served in 2021. Further, Home Visitors completed 3,518 visits in 2022, over quadruple the number of visits completed the previous year.
• 100% of Missouri families served were from low-income households and of those, 57% had “contact” with child welfare.
• 54% of families served received their first home visit in 2022. 35% of families served included participation of fathers in visits.
• 53% of Missouri Healthy Families children served in 2022 received Medicaid and 44% of children served began prenatally or within the first year after the child was born.
The 2022 report showcases the achievements, challenges, and stories of the families and staff who participate in the program across the state.
ARCHS’ statewide and regional data offers a comprehensive snapshot of the most relevant and up-to-date data and information regarding the health and well-being of the population served. The detailed profiles provide a useful and accessible tool for policymakers, researchers, and the public to understand the current situation and trends of ARCHS’ HFA participants.