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Family Check-Up® For Children Meets HHS Criteria

Last updated: June 2017

In Brief

Evidence of Model Effectiveness

This model meets the criteria established by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for an “evidence-based early childhood home visiting service delivery model” for the general population, but does not meet the criteria for tribal populations.

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Model Description

Family Check-Up is a strengths-based, family-centered intervention designed to support parents’ efforts to promote children’s competence, mental health, and risk reduction. It can be integrated into a variety of service settings, including home visiting. The model focuses on families with risk factors including socioeconomic disadvantage, maternal depression, family and child risk factors for child conduct problems, and academic failure. Families with children ages 2 through 17 years are eligible for Family Check-Up. A version of this model called Family Check-Up for Children is appropriate for families with children ages 2 through 5, and is the focus of HomVEE’s review due to that age range. Family Check-Up seeks to reduce children’s conduct, academic, and internalizing problems, and to improve maternal depression, parental involvement, and positive parenting. Family Check-Up is made up of three home visits with a Family Check-Up provider who has been trained in the model. After the three home visits, the provider makes recommendations for additional services, as needed, that are tailored to the needs of the family. Services could include the Everyday Parenting family management training program, preschool consultation, or community referrals. For the purpose of the HomVEE review, only studies of sites that used home visiting as the primary service delivery method and that included families with children ages 2 through 5 were included. For more information, please read the Model Overview.

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Extent of Evidence

Results of Research and Review
Number of studies
Eligible for review
28
Rated high
10
Rated moderate
4
Rated low
12
Additional source1
2

1Additional sources overlap with another study and are not rated.

For more information, see the study database. For more information on the criteria used to determine the study ratings, please read Producing Study Ratings.

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Summary of Findings

Outcome domain links to effects details by study.
Outcomes
Primary Outcome Measures
Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Child Development and School Readiness

Primary outcome measures:
Favorable: 4
No effect: 19
Unfavorable or ambiguous: 0
Secondary outcome measures:
Favorable: 6
No effect: 8
Unfavorable or ambiguous: 0

Outcome Child Health

Not measured in high- or moderate-rated outcomes

Outcome Family Economic Self-Sufficiency

Not measured in high- or moderate-rated outcomes

Outcome Linkages and Referrals

Not measured in high- or moderate-rated outcomes

Outcome Maternal Health

Primary outcome measures:
Favorable: 0
No effect: 0
Unfavorable or ambiguous: 0
Secondary outcome measures:
Favorable: 7
No effect: 2
Unfavorable or ambiguous: 0

Outcome Positive Parenting Practices

Primary outcome measures:
Favorable: 18
No effect: 8
Unfavorable or ambiguous: 1
Secondary outcome measures:
Favorable: 0
No effect: 0
Unfavorable or ambiguous: 0

Outcome Reductions in Child Maltreatment

Not measured in high- or moderate-rated outcomes

Outcome Reductions in Juvenile Delinquency, Family Violence, and Crime

Not measured in high- or moderate-rated outcomes

Please read Describing Effects for more information on these categories. Only results from studies that meet the standards for the high or moderate ratings are included above.

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Criteria Established by the Department of Health and Human Services

Information Based on Comprehensive Review of All High- and Moderate-Impact Studies for this Model
High- or moderate-quality impact study?
Yes
Across high- or moderate-quality studies, favorable impacts in at least two outcome domains within one sample OR the same domain for at least two non-overlapping samples?
Yes
Favorable impacts on full sample?
Yes
Any favorable impacts on outcome measures sustained at least 12 months after model enrollment?1
Yes
One or more favorable, statistically significant impact reported in a peer-reviewed journal?1
Yes

1This information is reported for all models, but the requirements for sustained findings and inclusion in a peer-reviewed journal only apply to models for which all findings are from randomized controlled trials.

Please read the HHS Criteria for Evidence-Based Models for more information.

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