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Research Methods in Child Welfare resources

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9 Introduction to Child Welfare Research Program is the most prominent example. The program calls for short- term, time- limited ser vices provided in the home to families with children at im- minent risk of foster care placement. Key program characteristics include contact with the family within twenty- four hours of the crisis, caseload sizes of one or two families per worker, ser vice duration of four to six weeks, and provision of both concrete ser vices and counseling, up to twenty hours per family per week. Several evaluations of the Homebuilders Program model have been conducted, most but not all of which have produced generally positive results, that is, low rates of placement of the children served (e.g., Fraser, Pecora, and Haapala 1991). Summaries of other research on Home- builders can be found at http:// www .institutefamily .org/ programs_research .asp. The principles of Homebuilders are largely incorporated into what is now referred to as Intensive Family Preservation Ser vices. Other models of family preservation provide longer- term and more family systems–focused ser vices or ser vices with a specifi c emphasis on substance abuse or delin- quency in the children. In reality, many states and agencies offer an eclectic mix of program elements in their prevention efforts. In sum, child welfare research has both spurred and been guided by vari- ous public concerns and federal legislation. A review of the current body of policy- and practice- related research reveals seven major tenets. The fi rst is concern for children’s safety. The child welfare system was developed pri- marily to ensure that when a child is at risk for maltreatment, ser vices can be brought to bear to determine whether the family and child can remain to- gether safely (Pecora, Whittaker, Maluccio, Barth, and Plotnick 1993). This is accomplished by a child protective ser vices (CPS) investigation of a family based on a call made to a state central registry from an anonymous person or a mandated reporter who suspects child abuse. It is important to under- stand that these reports of child abuse are made based on suspicion, as op- posed to evidence. This policy ensures that the largest possible safety net is created to protect children. The second tenet is to keep families together whenever possible. Thus, if the CPS investigation substantiates the abuse, attempts are made to main- tain the child safely and appropriately in the child’s home so that familial and community bonds can be maintained and strengthened and out-of- home placement avoided. This is done by offering preventive ser vice to the child and family in the community in which they live. (In addition, a family may request prevention ser vices on their own based on their perception of need or as advised by professionals, friends, or neighbors). In all cases, maintaining the child in the home and in the community is the preferred option for fami- lies and children that come into contact with the child welfare system.

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