The Birth & Beyond (B&B) Family Resource Center Initiative, an AmeriCorps State and National program, supports families at risk of child maltreatment with weekly home visits by AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps home visitors employ the evidence-based parent education curriculum, the Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP), and assess parents using the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI) to determine the risk of child maltreatment.    

Study Goals:
The goal of the evaluation was to understand the impact of B&B AmeriCorps home visiting participation on Sacramento Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement. The study used CPS data to conduct a quasi-experimental design evaluation to determine whether 12-month recurrence outcomes differ for children who received B&B home visiting services compared to children who did not participate in B&B home visiting services.

Research Questions:
The research questions were:

  1. Birth & Beyond Outcomes:
    • What percentage of B&B clients with eight hours or more of service experience a substantiated allegation of maltreatment within 12 months of intake? 
    • Taking B&B home visiting dosage, demographics, and prior CPS history together, what factors predict the likelihood of substantiated allegations within a 12-month observation period from their date of intake? 
  2. Comparative Outcomes:  How do the 12-month recurrence rates for B&B AmeriCorps participants with eight hours or more of service compare to a comparison group with similar characteristics?

Findings:
The evaluation found the following:

  • Birth & Beyond Outcomes:  
    • Children in families with more B&B AmeriCorps home visiting services were less likely to experience recurrence of maltreatment.
    • CPS outcomes varied according to demographic and CPS risk factors.
    • Children who were higher on a vulnerability index were more likely to experience recurrence of maltreatment.
    • Service dosage mattered especially for the most vulnerable children.
  • Comparative Outcomes:  
    • Children in families with eight hours or more of B&B AmeriCorps home visiting service were less likely than their peers to experience maltreatment in 12 months. 
    • Amongst children with low and moderate vulnerabilities, B&B participating children were less likely than their peers to experience recurrence.

For more information, download the full report.

Full report

Further information

Program/Intervention
Birth and Beyond AmeriCorps
Implementing Organization
The Child Abuse Prevention Council of Sacramento
AmeriCorps Program(s)
AmeriCorps State and National
Age(s) Studied
0-5 (Early childhood)
26-55 (Adult)
Focus Population(s)/Community(s)
Rural
Urban
Low-income
Outcome Category
Education
Access to care
Nonprofit development
Study Type(s)
Impact
Study Design(s)
Quasi-experimental (QED)
Level of Evidence
Moderate
Researcher/Evaluator
Applied Survey Research (ASR)
Published Year
2021
Study Site Location (State)
California