The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the AIDES initiative in four territories of Québec, to offer an alternative to current practices in front and second line social services in the area of child protection and prevention of maltreatment, and to increase child security and development. More specifically, the research project has two objectives:
1. to evaluate the implementation of the AIDES initiative, and
2. to evaluate its effects on children and their parents (or substitute parents).
The implementation evaluation is carried out using an inductive approach and a qualitative research design to document the extent to which the proposed collaborative approach is influenced by contextual variables linked to networking and to organizational and technical factors. We will examine the effects on the organization of services and on the quality of collaboration, practices, and support provided to children and their families.
This component will be structured upon four research questions:
1. In what ways do practice conditions influence the implementation of the initiative?
2. To what extent does the implementation of the initiative correspond to initial expectations?
3. Does the recruited clientele corresponds to the targeted clientele?
4. What further changes are required for adapting the British model to the Québec social services system?
Effects are evaluated using a hypothetical-deductive approach and a quantitative research design of the quasi-experimental type, to obtain data on child security and development, and on parental practices.
Six research hypotheses are tested in this component:
Anticipated proximal differential effects:
• H1: Parents who participated in the AIDES initiative (compared to parents who received conventional intervention) noticed improvements in collaboration with the principal caseworker, the latter’s support practices, and parental control over decisions.
Anticipated intermediary differential effects:
• H2: Improvements in the personal situations of the parents (parental adjustment, parenting) and the family environment are observed at the end of the AIDES intervention compared to improvements observed among parents exposed to conventional intervention.
Anticipated final differential effects:
• H3: Improvements in the personal situations of the children (emotional, behavioural, cognitive, and language development, victimization), particularly with respect to externalized problems, are observed at the end of the AIDES intervention, compared to outcomes observed among children exposed to conventional intervention.
Mediating effects linked to parents and children:
• H4: The relation between the two groups of children (AIDES vs. conventional intervention) and their personal situations in post-test are mediated by the quality of parenting in post-test. The effects of the AIDES initiative on children will thus significantly depend on improvements in parenting brought about by the initiative.
• H5: The relation between family psychosocial risk level (accumulation of risk factors) in the pre-test and externalized problems in the post-test will be mediated by 1) parental perception of support practices, parental control over decisions, and collaboration with the principal caseworker during needs assessment, action planning, and action plan reviews, and 2) the quality of family environment and parenting in post-test.
Moderating effects linked to children and families:
• H6: The intermediary and final effects brought about by the AIDES initiative are moderated by characteristics of the children (age, sex) and family situation (structure and size of family, condition of social support network, type and duration of problem(s), other risk factors).
The sample of 230 children will include 115 children/families participating in the AIDES initiative (target group) and 115 children/families of the control group. In the Montréal area, 55 children will be recruited, including 30 from the CSSS d’Ahuntsic et Montréal-Nord and 25 from the Centre Jeunesse de Montréal–Institut universitaire. In the Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec region, 60 children will be recruited, including 20 from the CSSS de l’Énergie territory, 20 from the CSSS Arthabaska-Érable territory, and 20 from the CSSS Drummond territory. Of these 60 children, 30 will receive services from the Centre de Jeunesse Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec and 30 will receive services from their respective CSSSs.
The children in the control group will be recruited from other CSSS territories of the same regions, which have similar conventional intervention practices (Montréal region = 55 children; Mauricie/Centre-du-Québec region = 60 children). The division of participants according to the type of establishment in the comparison territories is the same as in the target group.
| Montréal region | Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec region |
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55 children and their family
1 Youth Centre |
60 children and their family 1 Youth Centre 3 CSSS |
| Montréal region | Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec region |
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55 children and their family
1 Youth Centre |
60 children and their family 1 Youth Centre 3 CSSS |
In keeping with our philosophy of integrating the concepts and methodologies of all stakeholders involved, our most valued collaborators―those working in the intervention milieus―will participate in every stage of the study. In view of achieving a true partnership, we therefore propose a flexible and functional structure that will allow us to continue our consultation process with the local communities and to develop interactive mechanisms for disseminating and transferring research results. This structure includes the research team, an advisory committee, local coordination committees, and an evaluation committee.
The evaluative research of the AIDES initiative is carried out by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from different universities and institutions. These researchers, several of whom have already worked together, have considerable experience in the field and possess the necessary expertise to carry out this important study. They have also worked in association with university-community partnership projects and in close collaboration with practice milieus. Finally, these researchers have conducted and contributed to the evaluation of many innovative social programs in the areas of protection, prevention, and promotion of children, youth, and families.
The team is joined by research professionals (project coordinator; research officers and assistants), liaison officers, and intern students, who will carry out the research activities.
Researchers |
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Head researcher: Claire Chamberland École de service social Université de Montréal Tél.: 514.343.7735 claire.chamberland@umontreal.ca Co-researcher: Carl Lacharité Département de psychologie Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Tél.: 819.376.5011 #3560 carl.lacharite@uqtr.ca |
Sarah Dufour, École de psychoéducation Université de Montréal Louise Lemay, École de service social Université de Sherbrooke Marie-Ève Clément, Département de psychoéducation et de psychologie Université du Québec en Outaouais |
Research personnel |
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Coordinator and Montréal liaison officer: Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec liaison officer:
Guylaine Fafard |
Research officers:
Stéphanie Plourde
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Research assistants |
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Université de Montréal
Alexandra Breton, Psychoéducation |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Alexandra Boisvert, Psychologie
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The participatory approach on which the evaluative research of the AIDES initiative is based requires a forum in which researchers, practitioners, and managers can discuss the evaluation and the creation of conditions and resources necessary for conducting the study. This forum will work to define the appropriate communication strategies adapted to the needs and expectations of the communities involved, so that the latter may benefit from research results. This committee is another means of mobilizing the participation of our partners in the field and allows us to obtain their points of view on various aspects of the evaluation. One of the aims of the committee is to encourage optimal interfacing of research and intervention.
The CSSSs and Youth Centres of the territories associated with the study have agreed to assume local leadership of the AIDES initiative and to put into place the full range of conditions and resources required for successfully carrying out the evaluation process. To facilitate this, they have appointed liaison officers, who will ensure the satisfactory progression of the project on a day-to-day basis, actively participate in research activities, and be responsible for the coordination and facilitation of local committee meetings. The committees have the mandate to ensure that the evaluation is connected to daily practice in a meaningful way. Besides their implication in the definition and implementation of these new practices throughout the network, these local actors will participate in the follow-up and evaluation of the project. Workshops and seminars will be held during the committee meetings to present the purpose and procedures of the research, as well findings, observations, and collected data.
The progress of the research project will be closely monitored by an evaluation committee formed by a representative of the NCPC, members of the research team, and two external researchers.