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Home > Family Reunification: What the Evidence Shows
Family Reunification: What the Evidence Shows
Examples From the Field The following program examples illustrate key characteristics of interventions found to be associated with the achievement of timely, stable reunifications. Michigan: Time-Limited, Intensive Services Promote Family Reunification
Families were required to participate in assessment, family or individual therapy, and workshops on parenting. Services were offered for either 4 or 8 months. An evaluation of the program showed that the families who participated in treatment programs were more likely to remain reunified than those in the control group. In addition, treatment was more cost-effective in the long run. Fewer children in out-of-home care. Twelve months after exiting the program, 73 percent of the 813 children in the treatment group had been returned home and remained safely with their families; 69 percent of children in the comparison group had been returned home. No significant difference was found in reunification rates between families who participated in the 4-month (78 percent) and 8-month programs (72 percent). At 24 months following reunification, 81 percent of the treated families remained reunified, compared to only 60 percent of the comparison group families. Furthermore, the research indicated that children in the treatment group who did re-enter out-of-home care tended to spend less time out of the home. Cost-effectiveness. The agency calculated that it saved more than $5,000 per family for those participating in the Family Reunification Program (more than half of the cost for a child in the control group). The average cost per child was $3,830 to return a child in the treatment group home, including 6 months of services and 12 months of follow-up. The cost for the same 18-month period was approximately $9,113 per child in the comparison group, due to more frequent contacts and more re-entries into care after reunification. In follow-up interviews, families rated the following program features most strongly: the use of two-worker teams; the services offered in the family home; the 24-hour service availability; the use of a problem-solving focus in service delivery; the instruction in discipline techniques; and concrete services (e.g., transportation). Today, the Family Reunification Program has expanded into 26 counties throughout Michigan, serving 85 percent of all foster children in the State. For additional information, contact: Rhode Island: Project Connect Improves Reunification Rates for Substance Abuse-Affected Families An evaluation of the program's first 10 years indicates that nearly all of the babies born to parents involved with Project Connect were born drug-free. Parents who completed the program showed significant gains in their ability to use positive discipline techniques and to develop more age-appropriate expectations for their children. They also were less likely to be identified for repeat maltreatment after services ended (11%), compared to families that did not complete the program (25%). In addition, children whose families participated in Project Connect were reunified more often and more quickly than were children in a comparison group of families whose cases were open to DCYF. An evaluation of the 2003 program documented a number of positive outcomes. Parents showed marked improvement in meeting reunification goals and the ability to address the health needs of their children. Progress also was made in dealing with substance abuse issues, parenting behaviors, and meeting concrete needs. Parents who completed both the program and pre- and post-tests of the Risk Inventory (n=29) showed low or reduced risks related to a range of negative outcomes, including relapse into substance abuse and further child abuse and neglect. Researchers also noted that all but 2 of the 16 children assessed were functioning at or above the appropriate developmental stage. During 2003, 14 of the 30 families with children in placement experienced reunification. The program attributes its success to a number of factors:
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