As the population of the United States has changed over the last two decades, so has the population of children who come to the attention of the child welfare system, resulting in increasing calls for cultural competence in all aspects of child welfare programming and practice. Given the changing demographics among children involved in the child…

In 1995, the Indiana Association of Residential Child Care Agencies (IARCCA), an association of children and family services, responded to a request to demonstrate effectiveness of residential care. The organization developed a vision for evaluating outcomes that incorporated collaboration with others, use of data and projection toward the future.…

This article summarizes published research regarding the effectiveness of mentor programs in general, and for youth in foster care specifically, as a basis for evidence-based practice in child welfare. It examines the pros and cons of mentor programs and characteristics of programs that are more or less effective for achieving specific social…

This article describes the evaluation of two family group decision-making programs administered under the California Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Project. This is the only evaluation using random assignment to examine FGDM. Overall, results did not indicate more positive outcomes for children receiving the intervention, but did indicate that…

This article presents findings from a consultation project conducted by faculty from six schools of social work with approximately 150 child welfare supervisors over a two-year period. The purpose of the program was to assist supervisors with their roles as educators, mentors, and coaches for casework staff, specifically in relationship to case…

Key questions in outcome evaluation involve outcomes to be measured, differentiation of institutions, and the evaluation criteria-professionally derived or community-derived. (Author/SDH)

Analyzed data from a cross-site evaluation of 24 federally funded residential treatment projects for substance-abusing pregnant and postpartum women with children. Found benefits at 6 months of treatment included improvements in infant mortality and morbidity, treatment retention and completion rates, and behavioral changes in participating…

Surveyed 37 child welfare workers who participated in a 2-day continuing education program on substance abuse. Found that, after they completed the program, the workers appeared to be more willing to work with their clients' addiction problems and had more confidence that they could make a difference in their clients' lives. (MDM)

Describes the use of administrative data in support of a project to develop outcome measures for the Children and Youth Division of the Department of Human Services in Philadelphia, focusing on safety and permanency indicators for the in-home services program. Considers issues of data file construction and analysis, baseline results for in-home…

While family-based placement prevention services, family reunification programs, subsidized guardianship, and aggressive adoption programs are reducing the numbers of children spending long periods of time in substitute care, a significant number of America's children will come of age in foster care. Agencies and policymakers should use research…

Reports the results of a survey of 24 public child welfare agencies in Maryland. The adequacy of health care supervision for children in foster care is assessed. (Author/CM)

Examined the effectiveness of a family-centered residential treatment model, Reasonable Efforts to Permanency through Adoption and Reunification Endeavors (REPARE), for achieving permanency outcomes for children. Found that the REPARE program achieved greater postdischarge stability for participants than the agency's standard residential treatment…

Describes and evaluates the replication of the Mother Child Home Program by a Canadian child welfare agency in a rural setting to determine its effectiveness in fostering a positive emotional relationship between mother and child with families at risk of abuse and neglect. (BB)

Studies placements and placement outcomes in a large voluntary foster care agency system, the Casey Family Program. Focuses on prediction of maintenance of foster placement when foster children have been matched with foster parents in what is intended to be a long-term, stable relationship. (BB)

Examined relationship between program involvement, status of addiction treatment, and outcomes for caregivers and children participating in a placement prevention program for substance-abusing mothers and other primary caregivers reported for child maltreatment. Findings indicated that nearly half the participants were able to complete addiction…