ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the multiple domains of child functioning that may be especially relevant to Family-Based Service (FBS) programs, along with some recommendations and cautions about measurement strategies. Programs that focus primarily on the family as a unit may assume that improvement in family functioning or in parenting will naturally lead to improvements for children. Much of the research on child development is based on a transactional model that “explains behavioral outcomes as the mutual effects of context on child and child context”. Transactional theory requires more complex child assessment strategies to mirror the complexities of child functioning; standardized normative tests or traditional psychometric assessments “lack the theoretical power and empirical specificity necessary to devise a successful intervention program”. The ecological perspective, which has been so influential in the development of early childhood, family support, and FBS programs, also influences evaluation strategies in a number of ways.
