A program evaluation of a home visitation program: using floortime to enhance positive parent-child interactions in at-risk families with open child welfare services cases

Child maltreatment and subsequent family involvement with Child Welfare Services exacts a high toll on children, families, communities, societies, and even on future generations. Maltreated children are at higher risk for developing insecure attachment styles as well as a plethora of maladaptive behaviors. Costs upon all are high; therefore, effective service programs are needed to enhance parental knowledge, attitudes, and skills and to improve parent-child attachments. This qualitative program evaluation examines the effectiveness of a home visitation program to improve parenting practices among at-risk families who have open Child Welfare cases. Using a mind-mapping technique (Buzan. 2008), preliminary results indicate that instructing parents in the floortime model can elicit more nurturing parenting practices.