Child maltreatment is a significant public health concern that affects children's health and well-being throughout their life. Children who are maltreated are at an increased risk of developing a disability or delay and are more vulnerable to a range of mental health-related problems, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, criminality,…

This report on a survey of 224 home visitation programs that provide services for abused and neglected children and their families presents data on program characteristics, characteristics of home visits, credentials of home visitors, and program documentation procedures. Programs reported that training in parenting skills and parent coping were…

Treatment protocol review technique was used to summarize characteristics of effective interventions from nine studies of child maltreatment examining recovery from abuse or effects of maltreatment on child and parent outcomes. Findings suggested that stronger effects are yielded by: targeting parents and the parent-child interaction context in…

This commentary reviews progress towards the development and implementation of home-based services aimed at preventing abuse and neglect and promoting the health and development of the infant and mother. The effectiveness of the Healthy Families model and the Olds' model are highlighted, and challenges facing home visitation programs are…