Reunifying Successfully: A Systematic Review of Interventions to Reduce Child Welfare Recidivism

Abstract

As many as one third of children who reunify from child welfare systems reenter care because of continued child maltreatment. This can have long-term deleterious effects on mental health. Yet, few studies have examined interventions that have been effective in promoting successful reunification or reunification that does not result in recidivism. This study presents findings from a systematic review of interventions that target successful reunification. We searched five academic databases, governmental and educational websites to identify prior literature. Three researchers extracted data from N = 216 studies retrieved and screened in 10 that met all inclusion criteria. However, small sample sizes, lack of replication of studies, and small effect sizes limit the generalizability of findings. As such, the findings from this review highlight a need for more rigorous studies to build the evidence base of post-permanence interventions for families that reunify.