Journal article
Results from a family finding experiment
Children and youth services review, Vol.36, pp.62-69
01/2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.10.025
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of family-finding, a child welfare practice approach that provides intensive search and engagement efforts for children in foster care and their families with the objectives of strengthening family connections and permanency. We used an experimental design with randomization to family finding or a control group. The family finding approach was more effective than standard child welfare services in engaging a larger network of family and kin, in facilitating a greater number of family team meetings, and in ensuring that every child in care has at least one supportive emotional connection with an adult. Children receiving family finding were more likely to be adopted by relatives and less likely to age out of care without permanency resolution, but other forms of permanency, number of placement disruptions, and subsequent substantiated maltreatment reports did not differ between groups. As a method for strengthening family connections, the evidence in support of family finding is clear; as a mechanism for physical permanency resolution, mixed results from this experiment indicate a need for further research on family finding for specific permanency outcomes.
•Experiment tested effectiveness of family-finding in achieving permanency.•Family-finding engaged more family and kin than standard child welfare services.•Relational permanency and relative adoptions more likely with family-finding•Aging out with no permanency less likely with family-finding•No differences between groups in reunification, non-relative adoption/foster care
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Results from a family finding experiment
- Creators
- Miriam J. Landsman - University of IowaShamra Boel-Studt - University of IowaKelli Malone - Four Oaks, Iowa, United States
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Children and youth services review, Vol.36, pp.62-69
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.10.025
- ISSN
- 0190-7409
- eISSN
- 1873-7765
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/2014
- Academic Unit
- Social Work
- Record Identifier
- 9984307147002771
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