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Evaluating family-centered programs in neonatal intensive care
1Neumann College, Aston, PA 19014.
Insights
Public Law 99-457 expanded early intervention services to families with at-risk infants, including those in neonatal intensive care units. Evaluating these family-centered programs requires rethinking traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Public Law 99-457 broadened early intervention scope beyond child-centered services.
- Services now target families with at-risk infants, identified through criteria beyond test scores.
- Interagency programs integrate health, education, and social services for children and families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address challenges in evaluating family-centered early intervention programs.
- To explore issues specific to programs based in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
- To adapt traditional evaluation methods for innovative, complex service delivery.
Main Methods:
- The paper discusses the need for new evaluation approaches.
- It focuses on the complexities of family-centered NICU-based programs.
- It reviews existing legislation and its impact on service delivery.
Main Results:
- Legislation necessitates a shift towards family-centered, risk-based early intervention.
- Services are increasingly provided to hospitalized, at-risk infants and their families.
- The evaluation of these evolving programs presents significant challenges.
Conclusions:
- Traditional evaluation methods are insufficient for new, family-centered early intervention models.
- Evaluating NICU-based, family-centered programs requires innovative strategies.
- Adapting evaluation is crucial for the success of broadened early intervention services.
Abstract:
With the passage of P.L. 99-457 in October of 1986, the field of early intervention has been faced with the challenge of broadening its scope (Silber, 1989). This legislation expanded early intervention from a child-centered service to a service offered to families within a variety of contexts; from a service for children with special needs to a service available to families as soon as risks are identified. New programs are being designed and developed with an interagency focus which serve not only children with developmental disabilities but also their families in health, education and social services (Cornwell and Thurman, 1990). Current legislation suggests that services should be available to families as soon as their children are identified as being at-risk (Smith, 1987). In response to the legislation, states are developing definitions of "at-risk" based on criteria other than the child's test scores. Therefore, in many cases, early intervention services are being offered to families while their at-risk infants are still hospitalized and receiving intensive care. Evaluation of these innovative and complex service delivery programs is being addressed as these services are developed. With the broadening of the scope of early intervention comes the need to rethink the traditional methods of evaluating these programs. This paper will address some of the issues involved in evaluating family-centered programs which are based in neonatal intensive care units (NICU).