Evaluation of Family Help Trust - New Zealand Family Violence ...

The Christchurch Health and Development Study used longitudinally collecteddata to examine the childhood history of a group of young people who haddeveloped severe behavioural difficulties by the age of 15 years. The studyfound that the most disadvantaged 5% of the children (reared in severelydisadvantaged, dysfunctional or chaotic home environments) had over 100times the likelihood for maladjustment than the most advantaged 50% of thecohort (Fergusson et al., 1994). The implications of this study were that inorder to address the issues of childhood and adolescent problems, those fromdysfunctional home environments need early and appropriate input.One form of intervention that has received considerable attention is homevisiting. Prior research has suggested that home visitation programmes areone type of intervention that can result in positive benefits for both parentsand children (Gomby, Culross, & Behrman, 1999); (Olds, 2002); (Olds, 2006).1.3 Background on Early Childhood Home VisitationHome visitation is defined as a programme that includes visitation of theparent(s) and child(ren) in their home by trained personnel (such as nurses,social workers, other professionals, paraprofessionals, or community peers)who convey information, and/or offer support, and/or provide training. Visitsmust occur during at least part of the child’s first two years of life, but mayhave been initiated during pregnancy, and may continue after the child’ssecond birthday (Guide to Community Preventive Services; 2003).Several theoretical orientations underpin the potential beneficial effects ofhome visitation services. Human ecology theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979)clarifies the importance of the social environment in child development, whileattachment theory (Erikson, 1950) stresses the importance of a closerelationship with parents for healthy child development. Home visitors canplay a role in strengthening attachment by giving guidance on effective10