Readiness to Change Predicts Economic Self-Sufficiency and Health During Family Development Services

Preventing child maltreatment requires approaches that address some of the major root causes including ensuring children and families have access to the essentials like housing, food, and medical care. Colorado’s Family Development Services (FDS) improves family economic self-sufficiency (ESS) and health, which are both protective factors linked to reduced child maltreatment. This study examines how the readiness to change, both at the start and throughout FDS enrollment, impacts ESS and health outcomes. FDS, implemented in Family Resource Centers (FRCs), uses evidence-based practices including family-centered programming, motivational interviewing, and goal setting, in addition to connecting families to resources. We hypothesized that these practices foster readiness to change, which, in turn, improves ESS and health. Using data from 2031 families via the Colorado Family Support Assessment (CFSA) 2.0, we applied three multilevel models. The results showed an early readiness to change was linked to greater ESS and health improvements, while accumulated readiness over time led to more rapid progress. These findings underscore the value of family-focused and family-empowering practices for providers, policymakers, and funders who support family and child development services. Further, these results suggest that FRCs should prioritize building strong relationships, employing motivational strategies, and supporting family-driven goal setting to decrease the risk of child maltreatment.