The resources in this section discuss methods for evaluating family support, which are intended to strengthen families, improve parenting skills, and promote child development. In addition, they discuss preservation services, which are designed to keep children safe and prevent unnecessary placement by helping families cope with stress and obtain needed services.
Family Support Services
Family Stabilization Programs
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (2019)
Rates the effectiveness of programs that aim to preserve, support, and stabilize families in crisis or at risk of child removal.
Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
Presents the results of a research review that assessed the evidence of effectiveness for home visiting program models designed for families with pregnant women and children up to age 5. The website provides program model reports, outcome domain reports, implementation profiles, a study search tool, and more.
Family Preservation Services
Home Visiting Programs for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
The California Evidence-based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
Summarizes the evidence-base evaluating the efficacy of several home visiting programs, including Healthy Families America and Exchange Parent Aide.
Meeting the Moment: 2020 Annual Report (PDF - 3,676 KB)
Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth (2021)
Describes the delivery of family preservation, reunification, behavioral health, adoption and postadoption, older youth, and therapeutic foster care services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Family Preservation Network
Offers research-based tools, training resources, and technical assistance to public and private child- and family-serving agencies in the areas of family preservation, reunification, and fatherhood.
State and Local Examples
Colorado Department of Human Services SafeCare Colorado Pilot Project Evaluation Report (PDF - 2,813 KB)
Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood (2017)
Presents an evaluation of the pilot project for SafeCare Colorado, an evidence-based, in-home parenting evaluation program. The results of the evaluation show that the program was successful, with fidelity across 11 diverse community-based agencies serving 39 counties and two Tribal nations. SafeCare Colorado shows promise for families who complete the program.
Evaluation of Nurturing Parenting Programs
North Dakota Nurturing Parenting Programs (2017)
Explains an evidence-based evaluation of a parenting program in North Dakota designed to assess parenting and child-rearing attitudes to provide a risk indicator for possible abuse.
How Does the Parents for Parents Program Help Parents Reunify?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Discusses the Parents for Parents program in Washington State, which provides parents with support throughout a dependency case in court and reviews evaluation findings for the program.
Reinventing the Way We Measure Family Outcomes
Wilkinson & White (2018)
The Aspen Institute
Reviews a set of whole-family or two-generational outcomes measures representing key family goals that were applied to a home visiting program in Connecticut. The outcomes measures include healthy birth, safe children, family stability, and caregiver employment.