CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER CAREFULLY

Prevent Child Abuse Nevada

Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy

UNLV School of Community Health Sciences

Often times, a parent’s partner (typically the mother’s boyfriend) is left to care for children and does not have the parenting skills

and patience necessary to provide care.

It is in these situations where we see child abuse and neglect inflicted by the parent’s partner.

2011 2012

6 of 9 cases substantiated child death allegations of abuse or neglect in Clark County the perpetrator was a parent’s paramour

7 out of 12 (58%) substantiated child death allegations of abuse or neglect in Clark County the perpetrator was a parent’s paramour

CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER CAREFULLY

Project Development and Implementation

CREATING A NECESSARY CAMPAIGN IN CLARK COUNTY

The CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER CAREFULLY Campaign was developed to help

prevent the abuse and/or neglect of children by educating parents about the

importance of choosing a partner carefully.

Clark County’s campaign was adapted from the national 2008 campaign originally

developed by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio which included copies of

print materials as well as strategies for message dissemination.

Prevent Child Abuse Nevada (PCANV) served as the lead agency on this initiative and

coordinated campaign activities.

PCANV worked closely with the members of the Clark County Child Death Review

Team and Child Fatality Task Force to implement this campaign. Specific partner

agencies included:

○ Clark County Department of Family Services (DFS)

○ Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Abuse and Neglect Detail (LVMPD)

○ Clark County District Attorney’s Office (CCDA)

○ Southern Nevada Children’s Assessment Center (SNCAC).

Tri-Fold Brochure

Posters/Bus Stop Signs

January 2012 – June 2012

Proposed Activities Status Notes

Printing and Distribution of 10,000 Campaign Brochures  Extension Printing Requested by DCFS and Disseminated by DCSF

Complete Printed Delivered25,000 English 22,720 English15,000 Spanish 15,493 Spanish Rural Brochures 1,500 (1,000 English 500 Spanish) Posters 250 (125 English 125 Spanish)

Attendance at a minimum of 5 Community events to provide information and education using campaign messages reaching an estimated 1000 people over the 10 month period

Complete Moapa Tribal Child Abuse Prevention Month Event

Tivoli Village Pinwheels for Prevention Event

Baby Bonanza Event Elementary School Carnival

Nevada Association for the Education of Young Children Conference,

Festival of Communities Fair St. Rose Immunization Health

Fair Health and Safety Fair

Press Conference and kick-off event for the Campaign aligned with Pinwheels for Prevention Initiative in April

Complete April 4, 2012 Grant Sawyer Building

Bus Stop advertisements in at risk zip codes during the month of April

Complete 20 Bus Stop Signs15 Locations15 English, 5 Spanish

Materials and information on PCANV website

Complete www.preventchildabusenevada.org

Electronic newsletter about the campaign to parents and professionals working with families

Complete April and May PCA Newsletter

The campaign was implemented on multiple levels over a 10-month period.

September 2012 - June 2013

Proposed Activities Status Notes

Printing and Distribution of 20,000 Campaign Brochures  Printing and Distribution of 1000 Campaign Posters

Complete Printed Delivered10,000 English 7,200 English10,000 Spanish 6,805 Spanish Printed Delivered 500 English 142 English 500 Spanish 133 Spanish

Attendance at a minimum of 5 Community events to provide information and education using campaign messages reaching an estimated 1000 people over the 10 month period

Complete Clark County Events UNLV Football Game Night UNLV Take Back the Night Community Safety Expo Community resource Fair & Family

Festival Walk Me Home CCFAPA 34th Annual LV Seminars "Pediatric

Update" Keeping Kids Safe Project Touch-A-Truch Spring Celebration & Foster Connection Pinwheels for Prevention at Tivoli Village Festival of Communities St. Rose Mad Hatter Event Bears and Binkies Event School Safety Festival Shaking for a Cause Safe Summer Nights (3 different dates

and locations around Clark County) 

Northern Nevada Events Carson City - Children's Week Reno - NevAEYC Confernece Reno - Kite Festival

 

Press Conference t for the Campaign aligned with Pinwheels for Prevention Initiative in April

Complete April 21, 2012 Tivoli Village

Bus Stop advertisements in at risk zip codes during the month of April

Complete 20 Bus Stop Signs14 Locations14 English, 6 Spanish

The campaign implementation continued on multiple levels.

CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER CAREFULLY

SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS

The community had a very positive response to the campaign. Verbal feedback from agencies and organizations confirmed that this information was needed and desired in our community.

Next steps for this campaign:

Evaluate the effectiveness of these materials in the community

CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER CAREFULLY

The Next Step: Program Materials Evaluation

CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER CAREFULLY

INCREASE CREDIBILITY

PACNV / NICRP, along with our partner agencies, feels that an evaluation will increase the credibility of the information disseminated assist to spread the campaign to other parts of the state and eventually

nationwide through the Prevent Child Abuse America Chapter Network, if positive results are obtained.

NICRP has obtained a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Grants Management Unit to expand this campaign to include

one-hour parent training on the

information included in the brochures

&

to evaluate the parent-training

along with the print materials.

It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of these materials in the community

Evaluation Part One: Parent-Training & Assessment

CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER CAREFULLY Campaign

One-Hour Parent TrainingAGENDA Welcome

Informed Consent Demographic Form Pre- training Survey

Power Point Presentation with Brochures Post-knowledge Questionnaire Training Satisfaction Survey

Focus Group Discussion Participant opinions regarding the

training and the usefulness of the print materials

Suggestions to improve the training and print materials

One-month Telephone Follow-Up Survey

Trainings* took place in:1. Churchill County

2. Clark County

3. Elko

4. Washoe County*approximately 20 participants per location

Incentives: Free Meal Raffle ticket to win $50 gift

card to Wal-Mart Additional $15 Wal-Mart gift

card if they complete the one-month telephone follow-up survey

Part Two: Assessment of Distributed Print Materials

CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER CAREFULLY Campaign Evaluation

Assessment of Print Materials

Control Group:Surveys will be distributed to

agencies/organizations that have not yet displayed the materials in their offices

PCA NV Staff will target agencies/organizations that provide services to low-income, single parents

PCA NV Staff will set up a time to ask individuals as they leave the agency if they would like to participate in a brief 10 minute survey

Participants will receive a $10 gift card to Wal-Mart

Intervention Group:Surveys will be distributed to agencies/

organizations that have displayed the print materials in their offices for at least 2 weeks

PCA NV Staff will target agencies/organizations that provide services to low-income, single parents

The agency will display the CYPC brochure and poster in their lobby for a two-week time period

PCA NV Staff will set up a time to ask individuals as they leave the agency if they would like to participate in a brief 10 minute survey

Participants will receive a $10 gift card to Wal-Mart

To study the impact of placing informational brochures and posters in locations that serve high-risk parents

Year 1 Results Parent Training

Demographics

A total of 56 single-parents participated in the parent-trainings with mostly female attendees (82.1%).

The participants varied in age groups

Over half of the sample was White (55%), while 8.9% specified they were Hispanic, 8.9% were African-American, and 8.9% American Indian/Native Alaskan; 1.8% were Filipino, and 10.7% said they were multiracial.

Knowledge Assessment

The pre- and post- knowledge questionnaires administered during the parent-training consisted of five true or false questions and five multiple choice questions.

The results indicated there was no significant difference between knowledge before and after the training (or in knowledge retention one-month following the training .

Most participants answered all survey questions correctly prior to the training; therefore there was little room for improvement in scores at the follow up survey points.

Year 1 Results Parent Training

Satisfaction

The majority of attendees agreed that the trainer provided information that would be useful in choosing a caregiver (96.2%),

the trainer provided at least one action item that could be used in determining who would be an adequate caregiver for their child(ren) (98.1%),

and they would recommend the training to a friend or family member (83%).

Behavior Assessment

A total of 45 attendees participated in the one-month follow up survey.

The survey also contained four behavior-modification questions.

The majority of parents (80%) noted a change in behavior; many indicated they have become more cautious, more aware of their caregiver’s behaviors and children’s behaviors, and are continuously looking for potential red flags as discussed within the class.

Further, some participants specified that they have become more selective in caregivers, with a few parents who disclosed they have changed caregivers or have since refused to leave their children unattended with specific relatives, partners, or caregivers.

Year 1 Results Parent Training

Satisfaction

The majority of attendees agreed that the trainer provided information that would be useful in choosing a caregiver (96.2%),

the trainer provided at least one action item that could be used in determining who would be an adequate caregiver for their child(ren) (98.1%),

and they would recommend the training to a friend or family member (83%).

Behavior Assessment

A total of 45 attendees participated in the one-month follow up survey.

The majority of parents (80%) noted a change in behavior; many indicated they have become more cautious, more aware of their caregiver’s behaviors and children’s behaviors, and are continuously looking for potential red flags as discussed within the class.

Further, some participants specified that they have become more selective in caregivers, with a few parents who disclosed they have changed caregivers or have since refused to leave their children unattended with specific relatives, partners, or caregivers.

54.5% indicated that they had used the information over the past month.

75% of the participants had talked to other people about the information they had learned

Year 1 Results Parent Training

Recommended Changes for Training Make the class longer Provide case examples and add a video Discuss more on how a person (predator) can be

overly nice Information about sex offenders More pointers on how to NOT find the wrong partner Note in the PPT the importance of discussing

boundaries & educating partner on appropriate punishments before leaving with your kids

Year 1 Results Parent Training

Recommended Changes for Brochure Add a case example Change picture to kids of varying ages to make

applicable to all audiences It looks like it's only meant for parents with babies

Preview of Revised Training

Revised Brochure Round 1

Revised Brochure Round 1

Year 2 Findings……. Coming July 2015

Thank you! Questions?