Supporting low-income families with young children: Patterns and correlates of service use

Julie Spielberger and Sandra J. Lyons

Children and Youth Services Review, 2009, vol. 31, issue 8, 864-872

Abstract: Comprehensive, integrated service systems are increasingly viewed as a promising strategy for supporting healthy family functioning and child development in low-income families, but have shown variable impacts. This paper reports early findings from a longitudinal study of voluntary service use by a sample of low-income families with young children. Mothers (NÂ =Â 531) recruited soon after their newborns' birth in 2004 and 2005 from targeted communities in Palm Beach County, Florida are being followed for 8Â years to assess service needs, service use, family functioning, and child well-being. A cluster analysis of services used in the second year revealed four distinct patterns of service use: a low-service group receiving mainly health care and food assistance, two moderate-service groups, and a high, multi-service group. These patterns were associated with families' demographic characteristics, nativity, health status, social support, year 1 maternal functioning, and previous service experiences. However, there were no significant differences between the service pattern groups with respect to year 2 maternal depression and parenting practices.

Keywords: Service; use; Children; Family; Social; support; Maternal; functioning; Immigrants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:31:y:2009:i:8:p:864-872

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