Child First

Project

Overview

Project Overview

Child First is a comprehensive, home-based, therapeutic intervention that targets young children and families with multiple risks and connects them with the services they need to support healthy child development. An earlier randomized controlled trial of Child First in one location showed that the program improved children’s social-emotional skills and language development, reduced mothers’ depression and improved their psychological functioning, reduced families’ involvement with child protective services, and increased families’ connections to services and support.

With funding from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and The Duke Endowment, the current study aims to replicate the findings from the earlier study in multiple locations across two states. Because this study has a larger sample it can examine program impacts over a longer time and among subgroups of participants who share certain characteristics of interest. This subgroup analysis can help policymakers and practitioners target the families most likely to benefit from Child First.

STATUS: Current

Basics

Issue: Health, Families with Children

Focus Area: Health, Two-Generation Programs

Population: Families, Populations with Low Incomes

Focus Population: Children 0-5, Single-Parent Families

Locations: Connecticut, North Carolina

Intervention: Home Visiting

How One Home Visiting Model Adapted During the Pandemic

MDRC is conducting a replication study of Child First, a promising home visiting model, that aims to mitigate or prevent trauma for families to promote healthy development in children. Join Leigh Parise as she talks with guests about MDRC’s study and how the program adapted during the pandemic.

Working Paper

Impacts of Home Visiting During the Pandemic

Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Child First

Home visiting programs, which improve children’s development and strengthen caregivers’ and families’ well-being, faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines a program that provided psychotherapeutic, parent-child services during the pandemic and the effects of delivering those services online or in a hybrid format at that time.

Overview »

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Agenda, Scope, <br> & Goals

Agenda, Scope, and Goals

The current study seeks to answer whether the impacts of Child First demonstrated in the earlier study will be seen again in a randomized controlled trial that tests the program on a larger scale and in multiple locations.

This study will examine three primary research questions:

What is the impact of Child First on families’ involvement with child protective services 12 months after random assignment?
What is the impact of Child First on families’ involvement with child protective services 36 months after random assignment?
What is the impact of Child First on parents’ psychological functioning 12 months after random assignment?

These outcomes are the domains in which the original study identified impacts of Child First at 12 months and 36 months. The current study will also ask a series of secondary research questions that are equally relevant to policymakers. For example, the study will estimate impacts on children’s language development and social-emotional skills. Further, the study will assess whether Child First is more beneficial for certain subgroups of families, including families with caregivers who have experienced trauma or substance abuse or who have a history of depression, and those with children exhibiting issues with behavior or language development.

STATUS: Current

Basics

Issue: Health, Families with Children

Focus Area: Health, Two-Generation Programs

Population: Families, Populations with Low Incomes

Focus Population: Children 0-5, Single-Parent Families

Locations: Connecticut, North Carolina

Intervention: Home Visiting

How One Home Visiting Model Adapted During the Pandemic

Working Paper

Impacts of Home Visiting During the Pandemic

Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Child First

Overview »

Full

Design, Sites, & <br> Data Sources

Design, Sites, and Data Sources

MDRC will randomly assign approximately 600 eligible families to receive the Child First program or to a control group who receive the usual care. Families will be enrolled in participating Child First locations in Connecticut and North Carolina.

STATUS: Current

Basics

Issue: Health, Families with Children

Focus Area: Health, Two-Generation Programs

Population: Families, Populations with Low Incomes

Focus Population: Children 0-5, Single-Parent Families

Locations: Connecticut, North Carolina

Intervention: Home Visiting

How One Home Visiting Model Adapted During the Pandemic

Working Paper

Impacts of Home Visiting During the Pandemic

Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Child First

Overview »

Full

Funders & <br />Partners

Funders

Arnold Ventures

The Duke Endowment

MDRC Staff

Virginia Knox
President
Virginia Knox became President of MDRC on October 15, 2019. Prior to being named president, Knox served as vice president and as leader of the organization’s Families and Children Policy Area.
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Meghan McCormick
Senior Associate, Family Well-Being and Children’s Development
McCormick’s work uses experimental and quasi-experimental approaches to estimate the impacts of school- and home-based programs and policies on children’s academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes, with a focus on identifying programs and policies that promote equitable opportunities and outcomes for children and families living in poverty.
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Sharon Huang
Senior Associate, Family Well-Being and Children’s Development
As a senior operations associate, Huang takes a lead role on project management, the provision of technical assistance, the development of strategic partnerships, and site recruitment for large-scale demonstration and research projects.
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Samantha Xia
Research Associate, Family Well-Being and Children’s Development
Xia joined MDRC in 2014 and focuses on data collection, management, and analysis. She has held lead roles on several home visiting projects, including implementation and impact studies. She currently serves as the lead analyst and data manager for the Child First Randomized Controlled Trial.
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Mervett Hefyan
Research Associate, Family Well-Being and Children’s Development
Mervett joined MDRC in 2017. As a research associate in MDRC’s Family Well-Being and Children’s Development policy area, she works closely with practitioners in the early care and education and home visiting fields, providing them with support throughout the implementation and evaluation process.
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Project Director

Deputy Project Director

Publications & Resources

MDRC

Child First

Project

STATUS: Current

Basics

How One Home Visiting Model Adapted During the Pandemic

Impacts of Home Visiting During the Pandemic

STATUS: Current

Basics

How One Home Visiting Model Adapted During the Pandemic

Impacts of Home Visiting During the Pandemic

STATUS: Current

Basics

How One Home Visiting Model Adapted During the Pandemic

Impacts of Home Visiting During the Pandemic

Virginia Knox

Meghan McCormick

Sharon Huang

Samantha Xia

Mervett Hefyan

Impacts of Home Visiting During the Pandemic

Exploring the Value of Predictive Analytics for Strengthening Home Visiting

How One Home Visiting Model Adapted During the Pandemic

Putting Children First: An Interview with MDRC’s Meghan McCormick About Child First Home Visiting

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Project

STATUS: Current

Basics

STATUS: Current

Basics

STATUS: Current

Basics

COMPLETE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS