A team of University of New Mexico researchers received a three-year, $1.02 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to increase family participation in statewide early childhood home visiting programs.
New Mexico ranks poorly in measures of poverty, education, health, safety and community according to the annual Kids Count report. Home visiting can improve outcomes in maternal and infant health, child development and family economic self-sufficiency, while reducing child maltreatment, juvenile delinquency and family violence, according to researchers involved with the project.
Early childhood home visiting is conducted by nurses or others with child development expertise. Home visitors work with pregnant people and families with young children to provide support, conduct developmental screenings and refer families to needed resources. This service is available for free to participants in New Mexico but is currently underutilized.
The newly funded study aims to find ways to increase recruitment and retention in home visiting programs in New Mexico. It will measure the effects of previously dispersed cash incentives to home visiting families on participant outcomes. The study will also test the potential effectiveness of cash and non-cash incentives to families on recruitment and retention. Researchers further plan to test messaging strategies to reach pregnant people and families with young children to try to reduce the negative associations that sometimes prevent families from enrolling in home visiting programs.
Research Professor Theresa Cruz, Deputy Director of the UNM Prevention Research Center and Child Health Grand Challenge team convener, will explore how cash incentives for peer-to-peer referrals may increase recruitment and retention in home visiting programs.
This study "focuses on upstream, primary prevention and social determinants of health," according to Dr. Cruz. "Only a small proportion of those that would benefit from early childhood home visiting receive it. Being able to recruit and retain families in home visiting can lead to positive outcomes in many areas, including reductions in child maltreatment."
Findings from the study will be used to create recommendations and inform state agencies and policymakers.
To learn more about the Child Health Grand Challenges initiatives, visit the team's webpage.
