NCJ Number
247382
Date Published
January 2013
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of the annual evaluation of service provision activities provided by the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority's Safe From the Start program for the period July 2001 through June 2013.
Abstract
Key findings from this evaluation of the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority's Safe From the Start program include the following: nearly all children in the program experienced multiple risk factors at the individual, family, and community level, such as unplanned pregnancy, poverty, caregiver stress, and history of mother or father in jail; at intake 34 percent of children were identified as at-risk for developmental delays, while 41 percent of children were assessed as experiencing significant emotional and behavioral problems; across all sites, children attended an average of 9.8 sessions while caregivers attended an average of 11.13 sessions; and child and caregiver outcomes were positively correlated with the number of sessions attended. This report provides the findings from the evaluation of the Safe from the Start program for the period July 2001 through June 2013. Data for the report were from a variety of assessment instruments used by each site participating in the program. The goal of the program is to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive and coordinated community-based models for use in identifying, assessing, and providing services to children ages 0-6, and their caregivers who have been exposed to violence at home and/or in the community. The findings from the evaluation indicate that the program has been successful at improving child functioning, reducing stress levels in both children and adults, improving caregiver functioning, and improving overall outcomes for both children and adults. These findings suggest that the Safe From the Start program is an effective method for positively impacting the lives of children exposed to violence. Tables and figures