Family Preservation Services Research Articles

Do intensive specialized services prevent family separation in parents with intellectual disabilities? A treatment effects analysis

ABSTRACT The current study explores the effectiveness of Project IMPACT, an intensive, in-home, skills-based positive parenting program designed to prevent out-of-home placement for parents with intellectual disabilities. Families participating in Project IMPACT were compared with families in a similar jurisdiction who participated in non-specialized family preservation services using treatment effects analysis. Findings indicate that Project IMPACT is highly effective at keeping families intact. Project IMPACT reduces family separation throughout childhood, the most benefits are seen in early childhood, when the risk of family separation is generally the greatest. Parents with intellectual disability can learn skills to keep children safe at home.

Parenting Competences Among Migrant Families Living at Psychosocial Risk in Spain

The impact of parenting competences on child well-being is well-established. During the last years, parenting support initiatives have increased in several countries, namely in Spain, offering support to promote parents’ childcare resources and competences, particularly for families at psychosocial risk. Recognizing the specificities of different subgroups of families, such as migrant families, allows the development of more tailored and effective interventions in the field of family support. However, there is a gap in the literature about parenting competences in migrant families. This article explores differences and similarities in parenting competences among 492 migrant and non-migrant parents involved in family preservation services in Spain, as well as examines the impact of these competences on children’s well-being. Our findings revealed that migrant and non-migrant vulnerable families face similar needs in terms of parenting competences in domains covered by the existing family support interventions. However, we found a few differences in parenting competences between both populations, as well as in the impact of several parenting competences in children’s well-being. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Effects of the Nurturing Parenting Program Nurturing Skills for Families on child safety and permanency

BackgroundMany child welfare agencies use the Nurturing Parenting Program Nurturing Skills for Families (NPP) program to strengthen parenting skills. NPP includes a flexible sequence of lessons that are tailored to meet each family's needs. ObjectiveThis study estimated the effects of NPP on child safety and permanency outcomes using a quasi-experimental design. Participants and SettingThis study included 1102 children in Arizona whose families were referred to NPP between 2018 and 2020 (treatment group) and 6845 children in Arizona whose families were referred to other in-home family preservation services during the same period (comparison group). MethodsOutcomes were based on child welfare administrative data. The study estimated (1) the effects of being referred to NPP (regardless of a family's level of participation) and (2) the effects of completing NPP. Baseline equivalence was established for each analysis. Impacts were calculated by comparing regression-adjusted differences between the study groups. ResultsThe study found no evidence of impacts of being referred to NPP. However, children whose families completed NPP were less likely to experience an investigation (ES = −0.28; p = 0.03) or substantiated investigation (ES = −0.66; p = 0.03) 4 months after the service referral, and less likely to experience a removal 16 months later (ES = −0.70; p = 0.00). ConclusionsNPP had favorable effects on child welfare outcomes when families completed the program. Additional research is necessary to understand the supports that enable families to complete NPP and the specific components that are particularly effective.

Proving promise and support: Preliminary evaluation of the Indiana Family Preservation Services

BackgroundAs part of the implementation of Family First Preservation Services Act, and to meet legal requirements set by the Indiana State Legislature in 2019, Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) implemented Indiana Family Preservation Services (INFPS) to maintain children in the home when it is deemed safe to do so. ObjectiveThis paper explores the effects of INFPS on child removal episodes and repeat maltreatment. Participants and settingThis study compares all children and families receiving INFPS between January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021 to a similar cohort of in-home cases that opened between January 1, 2019 and March 31, 2019. MethodsContribution analysis and a quasi-experimental design are employed by using administrative records and survey data collected from service providers. ResultsINFPS is associated with reduced repeat maltreatment by about 3–4 % at the case-level and about 2–3 % at the child-level. In contrast to repeat maltreatment, in both case-level and child-level analyses, INFPS was not significantly associated with decreased likelihood of child removal. ConclusionOverall, these results identify short-term effectiveness of INFPS on reducing repeat maltreatment during the treatment period. Results highlight the potential utility of INFPS to improving such outcomes, through increased use of evidence-based practices (EBP). Current findings demonstrate the need for continued research on the long-term effects of INFPS on child and family outcomes.

Feasibility and Preliminary Impact of a Community-Based Intervention for Maternal PTSD and Parenting: Parenting-STAIR Pilot.

Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impact emotional and physical well-being, social functioning, and parent-child relationship quality. The effect of parental trauma on parenting and child maltreatment is often overlooked by current child welfare (CW) services. The novel intervention, Parenting-STAIR, was created to address maternal mental health, parenting skills, and child well-being outcomes. Parenting-STAIR is a combination of Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) Narrative Therapy and Parent-Child Care (PC-CARE). This open pilot study aimed to examine the feasibility and preliminary impact of Parenting-STAIR in reducing maternal PTSD and increasing positive parenting skills for mothers and families involved in the child welfare system. Parenting-STAIR was delivered to 111 mothers receiving family preservation services in New York City. Of these, 70 completed treatment; statistical and clinically significant changes were observed for maternal PTSD and depression as well as in parenting stress, parenting skills, and child behaviors. These findings provide encouraging initial evidence for the feasibility and impact of this novel PTSD intervention. An evaluation of maltreatment recidivism is needed, as well as implementation of a randomized controlled trial to establish efficacy of the intervention.

EFFECTS OF FAMILY PRESERVATION SERVICES ON FAMILY COHESION: VIEWS OF FAMILY HEADS

Family preservation services are considered essential and allow children to be with their families, which by implication, avoids their placement outside family care. This article presents the views of family heads on the effects of family preservation services, such as time spent together and connectedness. The findings of the study emerged from the qualitative approach, which entailed conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 family heads. Adverse circumstances such as travelling distances, lack of communication from professionals and fear of communal judgement faced by families during family preservation services are also addressed. The study nevertheless concludes that family preservation services are a mechanism to rebuild families. Keywords: child protection servics, family, family cohesion, family preservation services, social work, family care

Inventário de Aliança Parental (PAI): Características psicométricas com famílias em risco psicossocial

Parenting alliance concerns the degree of cooperation between the caregivers regarding child-rearing. It is a key dimension for an adequate family functioning, particularly in at-risk families, who face increased challenges. This investigation aimed to validate and examine the psychometric properties of the Parenting Alliance Inventory (PAI), one of the most used measures to assess this construct, using a sample of Portuguese families at psychosocial risk. 273 families of the Algarve whose children received promotion and protection measures were included. Parents filled the PAI and other instruments to evaluate their parenting competence and stress. The confirmatory factor analysis replicated the unidimensional structure of the original version, with good psychometric characteristics in terms of internal consistency and construct validity. Our findings confirm the usefulness of the PAI as a reliable measure that may assist family preservation services practitioners.

Incorporating data-driven decision making in family preservation: an examination of recurrence rates, case reviews, and lessons learned

ABSTRACT Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) in public child welfare (PCW) has become increasingly important with the passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), making PCW agencies across the U.S. examine their various programs to ensure that they meet the service requirements of FFPSA. Family Preservation (FP) is an important program that is offered by PCW agencies nationwide, yet little is known about how programs like FP can implement DDDM to examine outcomes to improve practice. This study describes how one of the largest PCW agencies nationwide adopted DDDM in their FP program and presents preliminary findings along with lessons learned as part of the process to meet FFPSA requirements. For example, FP established a baseline recurrence rate using the standard federal definition of the recurrence of maltreatment adapted for FP; this rate was 6.6% for families receiving FP in the target county compared to 8.4% for families not receiving FP services. Subsequent case reviews revealed issues related to engagement, family expectations, and termination codes, which led to standardized definitions and practice changes. Several lessons learned are provided as part of the incorporation of DDDM in FP as well as implications for practice and research.

A randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of Parenting-STAIR in treating maternal PTSD to reduce maltreatment recidivism: protocol for the Safe Mothers, Safe Children study

BackgroundChild maltreatment recidivism substantially increases the likelihood of adverse life outcomes, but there is little evidence that family preservation services are effective at reducing recidivism. Mothers in child welfare have very high rates of trauma exposure; maternal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an intervention target that has the potential to reduce abuse and neglect. The Safe Mothers, Safe Children (SMSC) intervention program involves the delivery of an innovative combination of interventions, including Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The combined intervention, Parenting-STAIR (P-STAIR), targets maternal PTSD and comorbid depression symptoms to reduce the adverse effects of PTSD on parenting, improve positive parenting skills, and prevent maltreatment recidivism.MethodsThis study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial: P-STAIR (23 sessions) versus supportive counseling (23 sessions). Participants are mothers receiving child welfare family preservation services (FPS), with a child in the age range of 1–8 years old and meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD (with/without depression). Clinical assessment occurs at pre-treatment (baseline), two in-treatment assessments (mid-assessment #1 after module 9 and mid-assessment #2 after module 15), post-treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. Recidivism will be measured using the New York State Child Welfare Registry (NYSCWR). We will enroll a total of 220 participants over 4 years: half (N = 110) randomly assigned to the P-STAIR condition and half (N = 110) to the supportive counseling condition.DiscussionThis is the first RCT to investigate the efficacy of P-STAIR. The findings for the trial have the potential to contribute to the expansion of evidence-based practices for maternal PTSD, maltreatment, and child welfare.

Reasonable efforts to preserve families? An examination of service utilization and child removal

BackgroundRecent federal policy has solidified the importance of preserving families, yet over 400,000 children enter foster care each year. Although a few studies have found that certain types of services, like intensive family preservation services, may reduce child removals, more research is needed. ObjectiveThis study examined the relationship between family preservation, family support, and basic need service utilization and child removal among families with substantiated cases of maltreatment. MethodsWe conducted a survival analysis using data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). We took a cohort of families with an investigation and substantiation of maltreatment in FY 2018 and followed them through FY 2019 to identify any that experienced a child removal during the study period. This included a total of n = 558,915 children. ResultsApproximately 15.33% of children experienced a removal during the study period. Case management was the most frequently reported service, followed by transportation services and family preservation services. In the multivariable analysis, family preservation services (HR = 0.95, p < .01), home-based services (HR = 0.98, p < .001), and housing services (HR = 0.87, p < .001) decreased the hazards of child removal. Family support services (HR = 1.36, p < .001), transportation services (HR = 2.30, p < .001), education (HR = 1.13, p < .01), case management (HR = 1.83, p < .001), or daycare (HR = 1.26, p < .001) increased the hazards of child removal. DiscussionFindings from this study suggest that utilization of various services is associated with future child removals. While preservation and home-based services decreased the likelihood of removal, several basic needs services increased the hazards of child removal. This may reflect too little too late with services that may be better applied as primary or secondary preventive efforts. Implications for policy and future rollout of the Families First Prevention Services Act are explored.

The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Innovative Strategies to Reduce Food Insecurity among Children in the United States

The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Innovative Strategies to Reduce Food Insecurity among Children in the United States

Personal, Familial, and Service-Related Predictors of Outcome in Intensive Family Preservation Services Treatment

The use of Intensive Family Preservation services (IFPS) has increased dramatically in recent years, with most states having such programs in place to assist families involved in the child welfare system. While IFPS programs are diverse in their scope, nature, and service provision, most are home-based and employ a highly trained social services professionals. The present study examined the familial, personal, and service characteristics associated with treatment completion and re-referral in IFPS at a community agency. Data were archival (n = 2301) and were provided to the researchers by the agency itself. The present study represents an analysis of treatment-as-usual data, in an effort to determine patterns in service provision and family re-referral. A variety of family factors, such as family structure and the presence of adults in the household, as well as hours and types of services completed, predicted IFPS completion and re-referral. Increased provider-family contact was influential in positive outcomes, including re-referral. These findings suggest that increased provider-family contact is likely to improve the outcomes for families served by IFPS.

Are They Really Neglected? A Look at Worker Perceptions of Neglect Through the Eyes of a National Data System

A follow up to a two-year study of abuse and neglect of American Indian children looks at differences in perceptions of neglect of American Indian children found in the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). Findings from an analysis of 17,000 cases of neglect of white or American Indian children were that the neglect of American Indian children, compared to Caucasian children, was more often associated with foster care placement, juvenile court petition, alcohol abuse of child or caretaker, violence in the family, and family receipt of public assistance. The neglect of Caucasian children, when compared to American children, was more often associated with family preservation services, child or adult mental or physical problem, and inadequate housing. These data, from the 1995-1999 NCANDS, appear to confirm stereotypical assignations of neglect to American Indian families. This study supports the need for the direct participation of sovereign Indian nations in child protective investigation, treatment, and data collection, in order to create a more complete data system that will provide accurate numbers and characteristics of abused and neglected American Indian children.

The Impact of Poverty on First Nations Mothers Attending a Parenting Program

Urban Aboriginal mothers’ experiences with Family Preservation Services indicate that while such interventions ameliorate the challenges they face, poverty is not adequately addressed. Prominent are the importance of prevention; attention to process; cultural context; and attention to actual needs, however, First Nations mothers (a) feel lucky when they get things they need, (b) feel ‘inadequate’ about the inability to manage finances, and, (c) perceive the lack of support in meeting needs to be a result of racism. As well, poverty often leads to forced compromises which can perpetuate risk of coming to the attention of child welfare.

Strategies for longitudinal recruitment and retention with parents and preschoolers exposed to significant adversity: The PAIR project as an example of methods, obstacles, and recommendations

Longitudinal research with adversity-exposed parents and children can present numerous challenges for researchers. Recruitment and retention of participants in longitudinal research is crucial to understanding complex relations between risk and resilience, as well as developing prevention and intervention programs. To assist the field, this article provides a thorough description of the Preschoolers’ Adjustment and Intergenerational Risk (PAIR) project, a study aimed at understanding adversity and resilience in parent-preschooler dyads. The authors describe strategies used to bring community participants into the project, including being present after school at Head Start programs and at community events, word of mouth, social media, and flyering, as well as the success rates of various methods. The authors also discuss working with the state’s social service agency to identify participants who have received family preservation services, and the success rates of enrolling these families in the project. Additional strategies are introduced, such as forming a community advisory board. Multiple factors associated with attrition prevention are explored, including data collection procedures for reducing participant burden, and ways the project kept in touch with families to retain them across multiple timepoints. The numerous strategies used by the PAIR project, as well as obstacles encountered, provide a roadmap for future researchers conducting longitudinal work with families at high-risk for adversity exposure.

Patterns of individual change and program satisfaction in a positive parenting program for parents at psychosocial risk

AbstractDespite the evidence of effectiveness of positive parenting programs, little is known about the typology of changes that parents at psychosocial risk undergo after an intervention. We compared individual patterns of change in three parenting outcomes in 256 at risk parents with young children attending the group‐based Growing Up Happily in the Family program delivered in municipal social services. We identified four clusters of individual change: Cluster 1 (30.6%) had negative changes in parental child‐rearing attitudes and parenting stress, Cluster 2 (27.7%) had positive changes in child‐rearing attitudes and negative results in parental perceived competence, and Cluster 3 (24.1%) and Cluster 4 (17.6%) showed overall better results. Residential area, type of social support, and quality of implementation characterized cluster membership. Participants in clusters with better results were more satisfied with the program than those with worse results. Practical recommendations are provided for the successful implementation of group parenting programs in family preservation services.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Animal-Assisted Therapy as an Adjunct to Intensive Family Preservation Services.

Families referred by Child Protective Services ( M child age = 6 years ± 4; M parent age = 32 years ± 8.26) were individually randomized to experimental ( n = 14) or control ( n = 14) intervention. Family functioning outcomes were measured using the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale for Reunification. All four targeted family functioning outcomes were significantly increased for participants who received animal-assisted therapy as an adjunct to intensive family preservation services ( n = 14) with medium to large effect sizes. These improvements were sustained in two of the subscales through discharge. No significant differences were measured for the distal clinical outcome of disposition of children at discharge. Findings suggest that adding animal-assisted therapy as an adjunct can improve evidence-based clinical interventions aimed at enhancing the caregiving contexts of children.

Support Networks of Primary Caregivers Receiving Family Preservation Services: An Exploratory Study:

The authors describe network characteristics and support resources from a clinical sample of 40 families. Data were obtained by family workers during the first two weeks of intervention. Case vignettes illustrate the multiple uses to which this information was put. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

SOCIAL WORKERS’ EXPERIENCES WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICY MANUAL ON FAMILY PRESERVATION SERVICES

Worldwide, changes in the family have become more evident and families in South Africa are no exception as they are also faced with various challenges. In responding to these challenges, the Department of Social Development (DSD) developed a Manual on Family Preservation Services (Manual) (DSD 2008b), with the aim of training social service professionals to deliver family preservation services. This article, therefore, addresses the questions of whether the Manual adheres to the requirements of a policy document and also analyses the experiences of social workers regarding the formulation and implementation of the Manual. The researchers adopted an explanatory design, which is a form of mixed methods research. The quantitative empirical results revealed some limitations in the formulation of the Manual which were also confirmed by the social workers who were interviewed. The study also revealed a vital role played by social workers in the implementation of family preservation services, despite challenging circumstances of their work environment, which included limited resources and high caseloads.

Testing if Social Services Prevent Fatal Child Maltreatment Among a Sample of Children Previously Known to Child Protective Services

The purpose of this article was to examine the potential impact of child welfare services on the risk for fatal child maltreatment. This was conducted using a subsample of children who were identified as "prior victims" in the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System from 2008 to 2012. At the multivariate level, the analyses show that case management services act to protect children from death as do family support services, family preservation services, and foster care, but that the results vary by type of maltreatment experienced. The author recommends that before strong conclusions are drawn, additional research in this area is warranted.