Components associated with the effect of home visiting programs on child maltreatment: A meta-analytic review

BackgroundHome visiting programs are widely endorsed for preventing child maltreatment. Yet, knowledge is lacking on what and how individual program components are related to the effectiveness of these programs.ObjectiveThe aim of this meta-analysis was to increase this knowledge by summarizing findings on effects of home visiting programs on child maltreatment and by examining potential moderators of this effect, including a range of program components and delivery techniques.MethodsA literature search yielded 77 studies (N=48,761) examining the effectiveness of home visiting programs, producing 174 effect sizes. In total, 35 different program components and delivery techniques were coded.ResultsA small but significant overall effect was found (d=0.135, 95 % CI (0.084, 0.187), pConclusionsIn general, home visiting programs can prevent child maltreatment only to a small extent. However, implementing specific components and techniques can improve program effectiveness.