FAMILY-CENTERED SERVICES - APPROACHES AND EFFECTIVENESS

Much of the emphasis in the nation's system of child protection focuse s on investigations to determine whether child abuse or neglect has oc curred: and procedures for arranging out-of-home care for children who are not safe at home. Less attention often goes to the capacity of pu blic and private agencies to provide services that help stressed famil ies prevent child maltreatment before it begins, or that enable famili es with serious child-rearing problems to stabilize the home and provi de more appropriate care for their children. This article examines the current understanding of the most promising and effective means of se rving families. It highlights the family-centered service approach, wh ich encompasses family support services for families coping with norma l parenting stresses, and family preservation services designed to hel p families facing serious problems and possible out-of-home placement. The article explains the characteristics of family support and family preservation services, and discusses how these services are accessed and financed. It reviews available evaluation findings regarding the e ffectiveness of the two types of family-centered services, and conside rs the challenges faced when evaluating such services. Finally, the ar ticle discusses issues related to planning and service delivery, such as coordination and system reform, financing. targeting, relationships between workers and families. and efforts to strengthen entire commun ities.