Healthy Families Arizona is a voluntary, home visitation program, aimed at the prevention of child abuse and neglect. This secondary prevention program is targeted to the parents of newborns with risk factors that make them vulnerable to child abuse and neglect, and at risk of parent/child relationship and child development problems. The risk factors that qualify parents for the program include parental history of abuse and neglect; substance abuse; mental health problems; poor coping skills; a lack of social support; unrealistic developmental expectations of infants and toddlers, difficulty with bonding and attachment; attitudes favorable toward harsh discipline; anger management issues; and a lack of resources to meet basic needs. Modeled on the Healthy Families America program, Healthy Families began in Arizona in 1991 with two sites. Administered by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Healthy Families Arizona has realized considerable growth over the years, and is now available to families statewide. As with any considerable investment in cost and effort, the question of return is central to ongoing support of the Healthy Families Arizona program. Does the Healthy Families Arizona program (a) reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect; (b) lead to better health and development for children, and (c) does it enhance parent/child relationships? The longitudinal evaluation of Healthy Families Arizona was designed to answer these questions.

Healthy Families Arizona was established in 1991 through the Arizona Department of Economic Security with 2 sites and increased to 58 sites serving over 150 communities around the state by 2006. In 2009, due to the economic downturn, DES budget reductions resulted in a decrease of the number of HFAz sites to 26. However, also in 2009, First Things First released emergency dollars to agencies providing home visiting services consistent with the goals of. Since 2009, these funds have enabled the state system of HFAz sites to build back up. In state fiscal year 2011, funding for the HFAz statewide system included just over $6.5 million from DES and $6 million from FTF, allowing for a total of 34 sites to provide the Healthy Families Arizona program. The DES funds originate from designated Lottery Funds, and the Federal Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Grant.