TY - JOUR
T1 - Family preservation services
T2 - Incorporating the voice of families into service implementation
AU - Mullins, Jennifer L.
AU - Cheung, Justine R.
AU - Lietz, Cynthia
PY - 2012/8
Y1 - 2012/8
N2 - Family preservation services (FPS) include a set of services designed to prevent out-of-home placement for children at risk of child maltreatment. Research examining FPS is inconsistent, with some studies reporting positive results, while others fail to demonstrate improved outcomes for many families. To understand the experience of receiving these services from the perspective of consumers, this paper reports the qualitative findings from a mixed methods study to examine families' experiences with FPS. To accomplish this objective, a purposive sample of 36 families was followed from referral to case closure. Specifically, 85 semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted at onset, midpoint and case closure to examine the perceptions of clients throughout service delivery. Each interview was audiotaped, transcribed and analysed using open and secondary coding strategies. Findings suggest that similar to other studies, families' perceptions of FPS were mixed. Some found the services relevant and supportive, while others were less satisfied. The four qualitative themes discussed by these participants included service content, service delivery, emotional support and tangible support. These themes help to provide in-depth descriptions of the perspectives of this sample of families. Implications for practice are discussed.
AB - Family preservation services (FPS) include a set of services designed to prevent out-of-home placement for children at risk of child maltreatment. Research examining FPS is inconsistent, with some studies reporting positive results, while others fail to demonstrate improved outcomes for many families. To understand the experience of receiving these services from the perspective of consumers, this paper reports the qualitative findings from a mixed methods study to examine families' experiences with FPS. To accomplish this objective, a purposive sample of 36 families was followed from referral to case closure. Specifically, 85 semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted at onset, midpoint and case closure to examine the perceptions of clients throughout service delivery. Each interview was audiotaped, transcribed and analysed using open and secondary coding strategies. Findings suggest that similar to other studies, families' perceptions of FPS were mixed. Some found the services relevant and supportive, while others were less satisfied. The four qualitative themes discussed by these participants included service content, service delivery, emotional support and tangible support. These themes help to provide in-depth descriptions of the perspectives of this sample of families. Implications for practice are discussed.
KW - Child welfare
KW - Consumer perspective
KW - Family preservation
KW - Qualitatives
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863858552&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84863858552&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00777.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00777.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84863858552
SN - 1356-7500
VL - 17
SP - 265
EP - 274
JO - Child and Family Social Work
JF - Child and Family Social Work
IS - 3
ER -