Behavior change across implementations of the SafeCare model in real world settings

Abstract Background Child maltreatment is a significant public health problem affecting more than 3.4 million children per year in the U.S. Child protective systems (CPS) are increasingly adopting evidenced-based practices (EBP), with many specifically adopting behaviorally-based parenting programs (BPTs). One challenge with scaling-up potentially promising interventions it to continue monitoring outcomes for evaluation purposes because program impacts tend to decline when disseminated. Little is known regarding the influence of client diversity on program impacts in the field. Purpose This paper examined immediate target skill behavior change among parents receiving the SafeCare model across six implementations. Program impacts were also examined according to family characteristics. Method Data for 493 families were collected as part of 64 SafeCare implementations between 2008-2014, and included family characteristics and behavior change indices. Behavior change indices for the three SafeCare modules (parenting-child interactions, home hazards, and child health care skills) were collected at pre- and post-training sessions by the SafeCare provider. Results Behavior change across the three modules were substantial. Parents healthcare skills specifically for their children increased by 29.4 percentage points (sd = 26.8, d = 1.74, p