NCJ Number
109328
Date Published
1987
Length
107 pages
Annotation
A congressional hearing focused on the use of family preservation programs to keep children out of foster care by strengthening troubled families.
Abstract
Speakers included program providers, a juvenile court judge, and individuals who have benefited from family preservation services. The discussions explored ways of providing services to families before they reach crisis. Speakers explained the components of a successful family preservation program, for whom such programs are appropriate, and when and how to intervene. They also discussed how these programs differ from other social services, barriers to their implementation or expansion, and their costs as compared to the costs of foster care or residential treatment. Programs in California, Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Virginia were described. They provide intensive, home-based services. The Maryland program uses a team approach to service delivery. The teams have small caseloads: six families per team over a 90-day period. Tables and written testimony.