Center for the Study of
Culture, Health, and Human Development
at the
University of Connecticut

Family
Development
Credential

Current Family Development Credential Research

Preliminary Research Findings on “How do Families Coached by FDC Workers Set and Reach Goals?”
By Claire Forest, Director, Cornell Empowering Families Project

With a decade of FDC implementation in New York State and establishment in 17 states, I am heartened by growing interest in research to better understand the role, impact, and outcomes of family development on families and workers. This spring FDC Senior Instructor Katie Palmer-House completed her dissertation research on workers’ learning that helped empower families. Her findings suggest valuable insights on the foundational importance of a worker’s own self-empowerment on his or her ability to work effectively with families. I highly recommend you read her article in this newsletter.

While Katie was carrying out that important research, I with the support of the New York State Department of State and Cornell’s College of Human Ecology, conducted a study How do families coached by FDC workers set and reach goals? First, I selected two sites (NYC and rural upstate) with strong FDC programs were selected. From each, workers were randomly selected, then three eligible family members from each worker’s caseload were randomly selected then invited to participate. Families eligible for study if they: met with FDC worker three times, set a major goal and smaller goals, and completed goal-setting plans with the worker. Ten workers who earned credentials during 2004 plus 25 families they coach were interviewed. The final family sample included 25 families (11 rural, 14 urban). Participants in the study ranged in age from 18 to 74 and represented diverse race, ethnicities, and family compositions. Seventy-five percent of families who participated had a yearly income under $20,000. I conducted in-depth interviews with each. The study showed:

1. Families reported that learning to set goals was a key skill in building their sense of greater self-reliance.
2. Families perceived receiving information and encouragement from workers was critical to reaching their goals.
3. Workers reported that using family development skills had changed how they perceived and worked with families.
4. The majority of families who participated in the study had experienced circumstances consistent with Garbarino’s definition of “socially toxic environments”, in that they had experienced at least one of the following: physical, verbal or sexual abuse, foster care placement, psychiatric illness, unemployment, illiteracy, alcoholism, incarceration, substance abuse or homelessness
5. Family members reported there were significant differences in their relationships with family development workers as compared with other family workers. These included:
   

   Family development workers:
   Ø Confirmed what families were doing was right
   Ø Were the first ones to ask what a family’s goal was
   Ø Explained things that family members felt other workers wouldn’t
   Ø Teach families what they need to know to do on their own
   Ø Demonstrated genuine concern and empathy
   Ø Were non-judgmental
   Ø Providing consistent encouragement
   Ø Followed up
   Ø Conveyed respect
   Ø Had a persona of genuine openness
   Ø Had patience
   
   Other workers:
   Ø Families perceived other workers felt they were lazy
   Ø Were judgmental about what families said they needed
   Ø Gave short-term intensive support then never followed up
   Ø Had personas that they were better than families
   

   I continue to analyze the data to better understand how families and workers used family development, and its’ impact on families’ lives. I look forward to sharing further in future newsletters.