Length of Service & Cost Effectiveness in Three Intensive Family Service Programs, Summary Report

• NCJ Number: 167786
• Author(s): K Nelson; M J Landsman; M Tyler; B Richardson
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 34 pages
• Grant Number(s): 90-CW-0964
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Sale Source: University of Iowa
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The primary purpose of this project was to use a scientifically valid experimental design to test the effects of length of service on client outcomes and cost-effectiveness in family preservation programs in Oregon and Maryland.

Abstract

These effects were tested by randomly assigning families to 3-month and 6-month service contracts. At one site, families were assigned to a control condition with no specified service length. Location of service provision (home or office), target populations, and staffing pattern (teams or individual workers, combined or separate case management) varied among sites. Project findings supported prior research on family preservation services, including low rates of repeated maltreatment and positive changes in child, parent, and family functioning. In examining the effect of length of service on family outcomes, it was found that families in the 6-month group had a much lower placement rate than families in the 3-month group. The project identified several treatment variables that enhanced the effectiveness of family preservation services. 94 references