Parent and Child Together Project (PACT)
Note: The PACT program was not responsive to the CEBC's inquiry. The following information was obtained from publicly available sources.
Brief Description
The Parent and Child Together Project (PACT) program has been reviewed by the CEBC in the area of: Interventions for Neglect, but lacks the necessary research evidence to be given either a Scientific Rating or a Child Welfare Relevance Rating.
- Child Welfare Outcomes: Not Specified
- Types of Maltreatment: Does not target any specific kind of maltreatment
- Target Population: Not Specified
The PACT program serves young mothers referred by Social Services. Priority is given to mothers who are 16 to 24 years old, with children 0 to 3, who have risk factors associated with neglect. The program is provided in a residential setting of 6 mothers to a unit. The residential portion of the program can last from 12 weeks to 18 months. Follow-up care is provided for 9 months. During the residential portion of the program, mothers are provided training and assessment on basic infant and childcare skills. Other services address partner relationships, household management, and preparation for life in the community. Aftercare services include ongoing childcare assessments, establishing social and community support, and assisting them to explore opportunities for education and employment. PACT also provides support for those mothers who have been separated from their children.
Education and Training Resources
Publicly available information indicates there is
some training available for this program.
See contact info below.
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
This program has been reviewed and it was determined that this program lacks the type of published, peer-reviewed research that meets the CEBC criteria for a scientific rating of 1 – 5. Therefore, the program has been given the classification of "NR - Not able to be Rated." It was reviewed because it was identified by the topic expert as a program being used in the field, or it is being marketed and/or used in California with children receiving services from child welfare or related systems and their parents/caregivers. Some programs that are not rated may have published, peer-reviewed research that does not meet the above stated criteria or may have eligible studies that have not yet been published in the peer-reviewed literature. For more information on the "NR - Not able to be Rated" classification, please see the Scientific Rating Scale.
McDaniel, B., & Dillenburger, K. (2007). Can childhood neglect be assessed and prevented through childcare skills training? Child Abuse Review, 16, 120-129.
Type of Study: Pretest/Posttest
Number of Participants: 4
Population:
- Age range — Mothers 16-25
- Race/Ethnicity — Not Specified
- Gender — Not Specified
- Status — Referred by child welfare services for neglect.
Location / Institution: Northern Ireland
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
Young mothers referred to the PACT program
received training in basic infant care, in a residential setting, with a
particular emphasis on feeding and bathing. Mothers were given
step-by-step instructions based on the Step by Step Childcare Manual . They were evaluated at baseline and training
continued until all had reached 80% on the task criteria without
prompts. Follow-up observations were taken twice at one-week intervals
for bathing and 3 to 4 days for feeding. All mothers reached and
maintained criterion levels for bathing. Two mothers maintained
criterion levels for feeding, while the other two eventually had their
children removed from their care. The authors conclude that neglect can
be both assessed and potentially prevented through childcare skills
training.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: 2 weeks for bathing, 3 weeks for feeding.
References
Newman, T., & McDaniel, B. (2005). Getting research into practice: Healing damaged attachment processes in infancy. Child Care in Practice, 11(1), 81-90.
Contact Information
- Name: Benny McDaniel
- Agency/Affiliation: Barnardo's (located in Northern Ireland)
- Website: www.barnardos.org.uk/pact
- Phone: 011+44+02890 682286
Date Reviewed: June 2011 (originally reviewed in April 2008)