Wisconsin Home Visiting Programs Collect Data on Common Outcomes

Home Visiting, Quality Improvement, Accountability & Evaluation

Active

In a unique collaboration, ten home visiting program sites in Wisconsin that use different home visitation models from one another are using the same outcome framework to evaluate their effectiveness. The Early Years Home Visitation Outcomes Project of Wisconsin (Outcomes Project) is a collaborative effort of service providers, funders, and evaluators that began in 2001. The group developed five key outcomes that are meaningful and measureable across program models based on best practices in the field. The common outcomes are: parents interact with their children in ways that enhance children’s development and early learning; children are healthy; children live in a safe environment; families access formal and informal support networks; and children achieve optimal milestones in development and early learning. Indicators to measure each outcome were also identified. The resulting framework allows home visiting providers to collect consistent evaluation data across their programs.

A diverse group of home visiting program sites began piloting the Outcomes Project in 2004. Participants include public and private service providers from rural and urban areas of the state. They utilize a variety of program models including Healthy Families, Parents as Teachers, and hybrid models that draw on several sources for content. Participating programs use the same screening and assessment tools when working with families, including the ASQ Questionnaires, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory, and Infant Assessment and Health Care Utilization Screenings. Programs input data into a secure central database administered by the Division of Public Health. Data helps assess the impact of home visiting on families and identify areas for quality improvement.

The Outcomes Project released evaluation reports for 2008 and 2009 thus far. The results of both evaluations suggest that home visiting services are positively impacting the health and well-being of children served by participating programs. One of the key findings showed that 83% of children served by Outcomes Project programs received developmental screenings in 2009, compared to just 26% of all children in the state. Outcomes Project children also show higher rates of immunizations and preventative medical visits. The data collected during these first years will be used as a baseline for measuring programs’ impact over time.


Updated July 2011