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Outreach
The goal of outreach in family support services is to reach families who might not otherwise participate in a family support program, obtain their involvement, and foster their participation in the community. The success of outreach efforts depends on the program providers' ability to form community partnerships; target, educate, and engage families who can benefit from their services; and meet the needs and interests of these families in ways which will prove beneficial to them, their children, and the community.
Building Villages to Raise Our Children: Community Outreach
Harvard Family Research Project (1993)
Describes three phases of outreach and strategies for enlisting families, forming community partnerships, educating the public, training staff, meeting the needs and interests of families, and easing the transition for graduation from the program.
Cultural Diversity and Help-Seeking Behavior: Sources of Help and Obstacles to Support for Parents
Keller & McDade (1997)
View Abstract
Results of a parent survey to determine attitudes about parenting, help-seeking behavior, and obstacles to accessing help with parenting.
Engagement and Retention in Voluntary New Parent Support Programs
Chapin Hall Center for Children (2005)
A study to develop and test an integrated theory of parent participation that reflects the interrelationship and interdependency of individual, staff, and program attributes.
Public Education and Outreach (PDF - 125 KB)
UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities (2001)
Guidelines for the development and application of public education efforts required by the Children and Family Services Act of 1998 as part of service systems for strengthening families, nurturing child development, and improving children's health.
Secondary Prevention: Serving Families at Risk
Thyen, Thiessen, & Heinsohn-Krug
Child Abuse and Neglect, 19(11), 1995
View Abstract
Describes a child protection center in Germany focused on a nonpunitive, self-help approach to reach out to families and encourage them to determine their own needs.
Targeting "At Risk" Families: An Evaluation of the Brimbank Family Outreach Service
Tomison
Child Abuse Prevention, 6(2), 1998
View Abstract
Evaluation of a pilot program in Australia that offered support to at-risk families with the goal of eliminating potential problems that might contribute to eventual child abuse and neglect.
Tips on Designing Brochures and Other Outreach Materials for Family Home Visiting Program
Minnesota Department of Health (2002)
Tips for enhancing the readability of outreach materials for a program that provides public health nurse home visiting services for families with identified risk factors for child maltreatment.