Increasing Equitable Access to Home Visiting: An Independent Implementation Study of Family Connects.

Objectives: Home visiting programs often provide targeted, long-term services to disadvantaged and vulnerable families with children, though briefer, universal interventions like Family Connects are increasingly being disseminated to bring home visiting to scale. Extending research by the Family Connects developers, this paper presents findings from the first independent implementation study of the intervention. Method: Observational data were drawn from program records entered between August 2017 and February 2020 at a new Family Connects site in Racine County, WI. Indicators of program acceptance, participation, and fidelity were examined. Data collected during home visits were used to describe family needs and demographics. An analysis of data gathered after program completion examined client satisfaction and referral connections. Results: Of 2,304 families who were offered the program, 1,778 (77.2%) accepted services and 1,107 (48.0%) received services. Replicating prior findings, the program was implemented with high fidelity. Most participants needed some education (99.4%), and over half (50.6%) had a need that warranted a referral. Family needs varied by race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and health insurance status. Postprogram data gathered from 648 participants revealed high levels of program satisfaction and high rates of referral connections. Conclusion: Interpretations of the findings and implications for health equity are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]