None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
There is international evidence supporting the effect of intensive family preservation and reunification services in preventing out-of-home care (OOHC) placement among vulnerable families. However, such evidence in Australia is scant. This paper describes the protocol for a hybrid effectiveness-implementation evaluation of the Victorian Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) Response implemented by MacKillop Family Services. Participants will include families who engage in the FPR and MacKillop Family Services staff involved in program delivery. A pre-post study design will be used to assess the effectiveness of the FPR in facilitating changes in family outcomes from intake to closure, including: i) parenting capability; (ii) family safety and home environment; (iii) child development; and (iv) prevention of children from entering or re-entering OOHC. Interviews will be conducted with staff to evaluate the program’s implementation (i.e., fidelity, reach, feasibility, acceptability, enablers and barriers to implementation). Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive statistics and a series of paired-samples t-tests to examine changes in outcomes over time; thematic analysis will be used for qualitative data. If the FPR is well-implemented and yields significant improvements in families’ outcomes, this would provide strong support for its scale-up across Australia, to improve outcomes for vulnerable families.
Interventions
The Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) Response:
The FPR Response is a family service program that aims to provide intensive support to families where the child(ren) is/are at significant risk of being removed and placed in out-of-home care (i.e., alternative care placement when it is unsafe for the child to remain in the care of their parent/s), or to enable the reunification of removed children in a timely manner. The family's key practitioner engages with the family intensively over
The Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) Response: The FPR Response is a family service program that aims to provide intensive support to families where the child(ren) is/are at significant risk of being removed and placed in out-of-home care (i.e., alternative care placement when it is unsafe for the child to remain in the care of their parent/s), or to enable the reunification of removed children in a timely manner. The family's key practitioner engages with the family intensively over a period of six months, defined as a home visit for at least one hour, three times a week. Practitioners implement evidence-informed methods that focus on parenting skills, parent-child attachment and capacity to effectively respond during a crisis. The mode of delivery is variable, depending on each families' needs, but may include cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, systemic therapy, and case management. These methods support families to meet their goals and the program's available brokerage funds are used as an enabler as needed. The program is also designed to support families to link into the community and its services to build independence, self-sufficiency, and a social network. Multi-disciplinary teams forged through partnerships with other agencies enhances the direct engagement of families with experts in parenting, drug and alcohol services as well as regional care, to deliver specialised support to families. No physical informational materials will be provided to participants. To monitor adherence, key practitioners will complete regular case notes to document all occasions of contact or attempted contact with the family, mode and type of intervention delivered during each home visit, and which family members were present at each home visit (i.e., at least one parent will be present for every home visit, and children may be included at various stages through program delivery as well, depending on each family's needs and goals). Practitioners will undergo the Multi-Systemic Family Therapy training, Circle of Security training, and Newborn Observation Training delivered by MacKillop Family Services.
Sponsors
Monash University
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Prevention
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
16 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Parents living in Victoria, Australia, that are at risk for child removal (child substantiation) or have at least one child already residing in out-of-home care. Child is aged between 0-17 years. Parents will have at least two of the following risk factors placing their child at risk of removal: - history of out-of-home care themselves - child or parent identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander - young mother (aged under 20 at birth) - drug or alcohol concerns - mental health concerns - other physical development or health concerns (i.e., chronic illness, intellectual disability) - family/domestic violence present Program staff will also be involved in this study. Program staff will be eligible if they have been involved in the delivery of the program for at least one month.
Exclusion criteria
Parents will not be eligible for participation if they: - do not speak English - do not reside or work in the relevant catchment areas in Victoria - are already engaged in another family service programs - have no child protection involvement
Outcome results
None listed