Wisconsin Datasets
The Families and Children Thriving (FACT) Study is a longitudinal panel study (2015-present) of risk and resilience among nearly 2,000 racially and ethnically diverse low-income families in Wisconsin who received home visiting services. Study participants are primary caregivers who completed a comprehensive household survey soon after the birth of a child. Additional survey data are collected at wave 2 when the children are 1-2 years of age and again at wave 3 when the children are at the age of school entry. Measurement domains include but are not limited to caregiver health, mental health, adverse experiences, resilience and life satisfaction, social support, household functioning, parent-child interactions, child health and development, and therapeutic alliance with home visitors. Comprehensive surveys also have been administered to more than 550 home visiting professionals since 2015. Data collected include indicators of work environment, supervision, cultural competence, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and self-care.
Strong and Stable Families is a mixed-methods study of Family Resource Centers and their impact on protective factors that reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are universal, primary prevention programs that offer direct services such as parenting education and home visiting along with referrals to community resources that meet families’ social and economic needs. During phase 1 of the study, survey data were collected from 665 families with children who received FRC services and nearly 1,500 randomly selected families in the general population who did not receive FRC support. In addition to household and community protective factors, the survey yielded data on adverse and positive life experiences, health and well-being, social determinants of health, and FRC service experiences. Study phase 2, which is scheduled to launch in 2024, which generate new insights into the implementation and impact of the FRCs.
The Healthy Families Study is a randomized field trial of two home visiting programs at the Milwaukee Health Department that serve low-income, pregnant women. One program implements Healthy Families America, an evidence-based curriculum, and the other is a briefer and less intensive prenatal care coordination program. The two program groups are compared to each other and to a third quasi-experimental comparison group that did not enroll in services. Data collection is now complete, and initial results have been published. Further analyses are planned to examine intervention effects on other outcomes such as maternal and infant health, caregiving practices, and child development, which were assessed at four time points beginning prenatally and ending at the child’s first birthday.
Racine Elevates All Children’s Health (REACH) is an impact study of Family Connects, a universal nurse visiting intervention that is being implemented by the Central Racine County Health Department in partnership with Ascension All Saints Hospital. Extending the results of studies conducted in North Carolina by Dodge and colleagues, this replication study uses a natural experimental design to test the impact of Family Connects. Data collection is now complete, and analyses are underway to examine hypothesized program outcomes such as improved maternal health, infant development, and family functioning. Program impacts on healthcare utilization and child protective service involvement also will be assessed in the future.
The Trauma and Recovery Project (TARP) is an ongoing implementation project that aims to increase the accessibility of trauma-responsive treatments for families who are involved in the child welfare system. Survey data have been collected from more than 200 clinicians who have been trained to implement trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, parent-child interaction therapy, or child-parent psychotherapy. Program implementation, intervention fidelity, and outcome data have also been collected to assess the extent to which the project strengthens systems of care, increases equity in service access, and improves children’s mental and behavioral health outcomes.
Alternative Response in Wisconsin is a completed evaluation of the implementation of Alternative Response (i.e., Differential Response) in county public child welfare agencies statewide. Alternative Response is a child welfare system innovation designed to address the needs of low-to-moderate-risk families who are screened in for maltreatment allegations. The Institute collected survey data from 1,073 caregivers about their child welfare experiences and service needs along with their health, mental health, and adverse experiences. Matching statewide administrative records were also used to conduct a longitudinal analysis of family CPS contact between 2011 and 2018. Survey data were also collected from 1,225 child welfare and community service professionals about Alternative Response implementation as well as mental health, burnout, and organizational culture. Implementation and qualitative data were also gathered to further explore the experiences of case workers and administrators.
Family Drug Treatment Court is an ongoing mixed-methods evaluation of a voluntary program that provides substance abuse treatment and family support services to parents or guardians whose substance use disorder is a safety concern that results in the removal of the children from their care. Qualitative data are being gathered annually from program participants and a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including judges, district attorneys, guardians ad litem, case managers, and treatment providers. A quasi-experimental impact study is also slated to begin in 2021 to determine if program participation is associated with better safety, permanency, and substance use recovery outcomes.
National Datasets
The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) is a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of over 20,000 adolescents who were in grades 7-12 during the 1994-95 school year, and have been followed for five waves to date, most recently in 2016-18. Add Health has collected demographic, social, familial, socioeconomic, behavioral, psychosocial, cognitive, and health survey data from participants and their parents; contextual data from participants’ schools, neighborhoods, and geographies of residence; and in-home physical and biological data from participants, including genetic markers, blood-based assays, anthropometric measures, and medications.
See ICFW publications utilizing Add Health:
- Childhood polyvictimization and marijuana use trajectories
- Disparities in adverse childhood experiences by race/ethnicity, gender, and economic status
The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) follows a cohort of nearly 5,000 children from disadvantaged families in large urban areas of the United States. Launched in 1998, the study data were collected from interviews with mothers, fathers, and other primary caregivers at birth, and again when children were ages one, three, five, nine, and fifteen. Available data includes information on household demographics, caregiver attitudes and relationships, parenting, physical and mental health, employment, and community characteristics. See ICFW publications utilizing FFCWS.
The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) is a voluntary data collection system that gathers information from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico about reports of child abuse and neglect. The data are used to examine trends in child abuse and neglect across the country. See ICFW publications utilizing NCANDS.
The American Community Survey (ACS) helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed population and housing information about our nation.