Family Empowerment as a Mediator between Family-Centered Systems of Care and Changes in Child Functioning: Identifying an Important Mechanism of Change

We investigated the associations among perceived fidelity to family-centered systems of care, family empowerment, and improvements in children's problem behaviors. Participants included 79 families, interviewed at two time points across a one-year period. Paired samples t-tests indicated that p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of child and family studies 2007-08, Vol.16 (4), p.556-566
Main Authors: Graves, Kelly N, Shelton, Terri L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior disorders
Behavior modification
Behavior Problems
Behaviour disordered children
Children
Children & youth
Emotional Disturbances
Empowerment
Families & family life
Family (Sociological Unit)
Family centred care
Interviews
Longitudinal Studies
Multiple Regression Analysis
Parent Associations
Regression analysis
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Summary:We investigated the associations among perceived fidelity to family-centered systems of care, family empowerment, and improvements in children's problem behaviors. Participants included 79 families, interviewed at two time points across a one-year period. Paired samples t-tests indicated that problem behaviors decreased significantly across a one-year period. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that both fidelity to family-centered systems of care and family empowerment "independently" predicted positive change in children's problem behavior over a one-year period. However, when family empowerment is entered first in the regression, the relationship between fidelity to family-centered systems of care and change in children's problem behavior drops out, indicating that family empowerment mediates the relationship between family-centered care and positive changes in problem behaviors. Consistent with other literature on help-giving practices, family empowerment appears to be an important mechanism of change within the system of care philosophy of service delivery. Implications for practice and staff training are discussed.
ISSN:1062-1024
1573-2843
DOI:10.1007/s10826-006-9106-1