The primary goals of A Family Place are to stabilize families in Yamhill County, improve the quality of parent-child interactions and support positive child development and well being.

The Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries contracted with an independent entity to evaluate the outcomes of Relief Nursery programs in the state for the 2008-2010 biennium.

The full report can be found here.

Some of the study findings include:

Improved parent-child interaction

Through involvement with Relief Nursery for just 6 months, the frequency of positive parent-child interaction improved 10% compared to intake and improved by 17% over a 2 year engagement in the program.

Watch this moving video about the difference parental interaction can make in the life of a child.

 

Improved family functioning and stability

A measure of positive family functioning also improved by close to 10% over a 6 month period of Relief Nursery involvement and continued to show significant gains with longer program participation.

Current research on early brain development clearly demonstrates the essential role of nurturing, engaged parenting in developing the brain infrastructure to allow for early attachment relationships. These early relationships support healthy physical, social and cognitive development.

Increased frequency of reading to children

Involvement with Relief Nursery increased families reading regularly to their young children by as much as 21% over just a 6 month period of program participation, and these gains were sustained when looked at over a 2 year period. Reading to very young children is known to improve children’s language and literacy development.

Increased parental employment

Poverty and unemployment are major stressors that make it difficult for parents to provide safe, stable environments that children need for positive development.  Relief Nursery services, by providing assistance with accessing job training, education, and employment assistance have shown parental employment to increase by more than 30% over a two year period of time.

Reduced use of Emergency Department services

By linking families to primary care resources, Relief Nursery involvement has shown a significant decline in use of costly emergency department services for routine care.

Overall reduction of family risk factors

By stabilizing families, improving parenting, and promoting positive child development, there is strong evidence that Relief Nursery services are helping to assure long-term success for children.

Additional information is available from the Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries.