Brief Birth Outcomes and Child Maltreatment Rates Improve with Parenting Supports
Second-Year Outcomes of the Spartanburg, South Carolina, Hello Family Pay for Success Project
Heather Sandstrom, Mingli Zhong, Fernando Hernandez-Lepe, William J. Congdon
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The Hello Family Pay for Success project in Spartanburg, South Carolina, aims to improve child and family outcomes through evidence-based services from prenatal development to kindergarten entry. This fact sheet presents the second-year outcomes of three programs included in the project—BirthMatters, Family Connects, and Triple P—following services in 2023.

Why This Matters

Early childhood services can significantly improve child and family well-being. This project’s innovative structure involves local government, lenders, intermediaries, service providers, and evaluators—advancing knowledge and expanding services for Spartanburg residents.

Key Takeaways

The Hello Family Pay for Success project in Spartanburg, South Carolina, improved multiple child and family outcomes in its second year.

  • Doula support for young mothers on Medicaid improved four birth outcomes:
    • 9 fewer cesarean deliveries
    • 9 fewer cases of low birthweight
    • 3 fewer NICU admissions
    • 18 more newborns initiating breastfeeding
  • The child maltreatment rate was lower among Spartanburg children under age 8 than children in a synthetic control group, with an estimated 58 avoided cases.
  • Infants in Spartanburg had a similar rate of emergency medical care visits in their first six months as infants in a synthetic control group, with an estimated rate of about 51 visits per 100 babies.

Early evaluation results show that the combination of doula services for young mothers with low incomes and parenting education is improving infant health and child well-being and lowering the need for medical interventions such as cesarean deliveries and NICU admissions. We will replicate these analyses annually for five years to track outcomes for this Pay for Success project.

How We Did It

The study used synthetic control methods to compare outcomes in Spartanburg with weighted averages from similar South Carolina counties. Data sources included vital statistics, hospital records, and child maltreatment reports we obtained from state agencies under a data-sharing agreement.
Research and Evidence Family and Financial Well-Being Health Policy Tax and Income Supports
Expertise Families Early Childhood Reproductive and Maternal Health Social Safety Net Child Welfare
Tags Child maltreatment and prevention Families with low incomes Family care and support Early childhood home visiting Maternal, child, and reproductive health Children's health and development Parenting Pay for success Place-based initiatives Quantitative data analysis
States South Carolina
Cities Spartanburg, SC
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