Effectiveness of Parent Aides in the Tertiary Prevention of Child Abuse in South Australia

• NCJ Number: 108882
• Journal: Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: (1987) Pages: 507-512
• Author(s): D R Lines
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 512 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented at Sixth International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect, Sydney, Australia, 1986.

Annotation

A parent aide program is Southern Adelaide, South Australia, using volunteer experienced mothers to prevent re-abuse of children (tertiary prevention) has been highly successful (97 percent prevention) and has proved cost-effective.

Abstract

The program was modeled on that described by Kempe and widely used in North America with only minor modifications required to establish it in South Australia. The outcome of the first 5 years indicates that, despite a work load of more than 20 hours per month per client, less than 10 percent of volunteer parent aides withdrew from their 2-year commitment to the program. The cost-benefit ratio of the program appears very low and the prevention of re-abuse by mothers involved was less than that for other clients assessed by the Southern Metropolitan Child Protection Panel, which referred all cases for a parent aide in the 5-year period reviewed. Difficulties in maintaining the program did arise but were dealt with by close liaison between the parent aide, program coordinators, and primary care worker in the community who was usually a social worker. 3 tables and 4 references. (Author abstract modified)