Cost Analysis of a Home Visiting Program to Cost Analysis of a Home Visiting Program to Cost Analysis of a Home Visiting Program to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

In a time of fiscal cutback, analysis of program costs can help decision makers allocate resources. This paper presents the results of an economic cost evaluation of a countywide universal home visiting program to reduce child abuse and neglect. Results indicate that the average cost amounted to $4,378/family/year. This includes an average of 2.1 visits by a Public Health Nurse and 29 home visits by Family Visitors. The full cost of professional services appeared to be significantly higher than that of paraprofessionals. Families with more risk factors were more likely to accept services than families with fewer risk factors. These findings can be helpful in planning the costs associated with similar program implementation.