Family Policy Program

Research and Evaluation

Home Visiting
Parenting Skills
Child Care
Poverty
Foster Care
Even Start

Home Visiting

A Performance Measurement System for Oregon Healthy Start

Oregon Healthy Start is a voluntary home visiting program that assists families in giving their newborn children a "healthy start" in life. Targeting first-birth families, Healthy Start service begins either during the prenatal period or at birth when families are screened for characteristics associated with poor child and family outcomes.

Families with few, if any, risk characteristics are offered short-term Basic Service that typically includes a "welcome home" visit and information on community resources for new parents. Families with characteristics associated with poor child outcomes are offered longer-term Intensive Service. Through weekly home visits, trained home visitors provide parenting support and education, child development screening, and connections to needed health and other community services. Intensive Service is available throughout the early childhood years.

Under legislation, Oregon Healthy Start began serving families in 1994. During 2000-01, Healthy Start operated in 20 of Oregon's 36 counties. To monitor outputs and outcomes, a statewide performance measurement system has been developed and refined by the Oregon State University (OSU) Family Policy Program in collaboration with representatives of the Oregon Commission on Children and Families (OCCF) and local Healthy Start projects.

The results of this program are presented in yearly status reports that assess the successes and challenges experienced in the pursuit of Healthy Start's goals to create wellness for Oregon children and their families.

For further information contact Aphra Katzev.

Parenting Skills

Enhancing the Skills of Parents Program (ESPP)

The Family Policy Program received a three year grant from The Ford Family Foundation to evaluate and support the Enhancing the Skills of Parents Program (ESPP). This will include organizing twice-yearly conferences for project coordinators so they can network and share in a supportive environment.

The overall purpose for the program is to build the family focused resources at the community level to enhance parenting skills and strengthen families and communities in rural Oregon. Eleven projects within rural communities in Oregon have been selected for funding by The Ford Family Foundation. For more information on ESPP visit The Ford Family Foundation website.

For more information on the evaluation and networking component of this program contact Aphra Katzev.

Poverty

Poverty in Oregon
During 1999 and 2000, key program initiatives highlighted Poverty in Oregon. The OSU Family Policy Program

provided key contributions to the OSU Extension Service Tabloid Poverty in Oregon (Fall 1999) that reached over 200,000 Oregon households.
developed and administered poverty simulation workshops in collaboration with Oregon Department of Human Services, the Oregon Department of Corrections, and other state and local public and private organizations and agencies.
conducted research on rural families in poverty and on welfare reform.
developed and delivered an OSU multidisciplinary distance learning course on poverty.
co-sponsored Oregon Family Impact Seminars on family poverty for Oregon legislators and policy makers. Held in November 2000, the first seminar brought together over 50 Oregon legislators to learn about Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and their importance to working families. As a direct result of the seminar, legislation was introduced in the 2001 Oregon Legislature to revise and expand the Oregon EITC program.

Foster Care

Research and Evaluation of Foster Children's Reception into Environmentally Supportive Homes-REFRESH
Project REFRESH was designed to study relationships and interactions within foster families. Both relative and non-relative foster families with a foster child between the ages of 10 and 18 were studied using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

This project was funded through a three-year grant from the Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Children, Youth, and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. The Principle Investigators were Dr. Clara C. Pratt, Dr. Claudia Hatmaker, and Dr. Sam Vuchinich.

Several research papers are in preparation and one paper has been submitted for publication, Problem Solving Communication in Foster and Biologically Related Families.

Several tools for foster families have also been developed.

Enriching Foster Family Relationships Through Problem Solving (EC 1517) is a booklet, published through OSU Extension, designed to help foster families enhance their interpersonal problem solving abilities.
Foster Child: Emergency Placement Form is a guide for foster parents to use as a quick screening tool when asked whether they are willing to accept a last-minute placement of a foster child.
Foster Child Placement Information Form is a comprehensive booklet of information to help foster families decide whether a particular foster child will be a good match for their family.

Even Start

Even-Start Family Literacy Program Evaluation
Evaluation of Oregon Even Start family literacy programs targeting low-income parents and their children. The evaluation assesses the effectiveness of the three-pronged Even Start approach:

Adult Basic Education (ABE)/English as a Second Language (ESL),
early childhood education, and
parenting education and support.

For more information contact Leslie Richards.


	Limit results to this site.		Health and Human Sciences » Human Development and Family Sciences » Family Policy Program » Research and Evaluation. Research and Evaluation Home Visiting Parenting Skills Child Care Poverty Foster Care Even Start Home Visiting A Performance Measurement System for Oregon Healthy Start Oregon Healthy Start is a voluntary home visiting program that assists families in giving their newborn children a "healthy start" in life. Targeting first-birth families, Healthy Start service begins either during the prenatal period or at birth when families are screened for characteristics associated with poor child and family outcomes. Families with few, if any, risk characteristics are offered short-term Basic Service that typically includes a "welcome home" visit and information on community resources for new parents. Families with characteristics associated with poor child outcomes are offered longer-term Intensive Service. Through weekly home visits, trained home visitors provide parenting support and education, child development screening, and connections to needed health and other community services. Intensive Service is available throughout the early childhood years. Under legislation, Oregon Healthy Start began serving families in 1994. During 2000-01, Healthy Start operated in 20 of Oregon's 36 counties. To monitor outputs and outcomes, a statewide performance measurement system has been developed and refined by the Oregon State University (OSU) Family Policy Program in collaboration with representatives of the Oregon Commission on Children and Families (OCCF) and local Healthy Start projects. The results of this program are presented in yearly status reports that assess the successes and challenges experienced in the pursuit of Healthy Start's goals to create wellness for Oregon children and their families. For further information contact Aphra Katzev. Parenting Skills Enhancing the Skills of Parents Program (ESPP) The Family Policy Program received a three year grant from The Ford Family Foundation to evaluate and support the Enhancing the Skills of Parents Program (ESPP). This will include organizing twice-yearly conferences for project coordinators so they can network and share in a supportive environment. The overall purpose for the program is to build the family focused resources at the community level to enhance parenting skills and strengthen families and communities in rural Oregon. Eleven projects within rural communities in Oregon have been selected for funding by The Ford Family Foundation. For more information on ESPP visit The Ford Family Foundation website. For more information on the evaluation and networking component of this program contact Aphra Katzev. Poverty Poverty in Oregon During 1999 and 2000, key program initiatives highlighted Poverty in Oregon. The OSU Family Policy Program provided key contributions to the OSU Extension Service Tabloid Poverty in Oregon (Fall 1999) that reached over 200,000 Oregon households. developed and administered poverty simulation workshops in collaboration with Oregon Department of Human Services, the Oregon Department of Corrections, and other state and local public and private organizations and agencies. conducted research on rural families in poverty and on welfare reform. developed and delivered an OSU multidisciplinary distance learning course on poverty. co-sponsored Oregon Family Impact Seminars on family poverty for Oregon legislators and policy makers. Held in November 2000, the first seminar brought together over 50 Oregon legislators to learn about Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and their importance to working families. As a direct result of the seminar, legislation was introduced in the 2001 Oregon Legislature to revise and expand the Oregon EITC program. Foster Care Research and Evaluation of Foster Children's Reception into Environmentally Supportive Homes-REFRESH Project REFRESH was designed to study relationships and interactions within foster families. Both relative and non-relative foster families with a foster child between the ages of 10 and 18 were studied using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This project was funded through a three-year grant from the Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Children, Youth, and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. The Principle Investigators were Dr. Clara C. Pratt, Dr. Claudia Hatmaker, and Dr. Sam Vuchinich. Several research papers are in preparation and one paper has been submitted for publication, Problem Solving Communication in Foster and Biologically Related Families. Several tools for foster families have also been developed. Enriching Foster Family Relationships Through Problem Solving (EC 1517) is a booklet, published through OSU Extension, designed to help foster families enhance their interpersonal problem solving abilities. Foster Child: Emergency Placement Form is a guide for foster parents to use as a quick screening tool when asked whether they are willing to accept a last-minute placement of a foster child. Foster Child Placement Information Form is a comprehensive booklet of information to help foster families decide whether a particular foster child will be a good match for their family. Even Start Even-Start Family Literacy Program Evaluation Evaluation of Oregon Even Start family literacy programs targeting low-income parents and their children. The evaluation assesses the effectiveness of the three-pronged Even Start approach: Adult Basic Education (ABE)/English as a Second Language (ESL), early childhood education, and parenting education and support. For more information contact Leslie Richards.