The purpose of this study was to rigorously test the effectiveness of Safe@Home, an in-home parent skill-based intervention implemented in Clark County, Nevada. Safe@Home is designed to prevent out-of-home placement for children at imminent risk of placement (Placement Prevention population) and minimize time in out-of-home care for children already in foster care (Reunification population). This paper presents a retrospective, longitudinal, quasi-experimental study that examined placement and permanency outcomes of Safe@Home. Using Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM), children who received Safe@Home were matched to a historical comparison group of children served before Safe@Home was available in their community. All children in the study were determined by Clark County Department of Family Services to be unsafe and in need of immediate intervention. Children were matched based on age, race/ethnicity, previous in-home or out-of-home child welfare case, and safety threats Matched study samples demonstrated strong baseline equivalence. Children who received Safe@Home experienced a significantly lower rate of out-of-home placements, substantially higher rate of permanency with a parent, fewer days in out-of-home care, and shorter time to case closure. There was no effect of Safe@Home on post-permanency outcomes of maltreatment after case closure and re-entry. Large favorable placement prevention effects were sustained for 12 months after the end of Safe@Home.
Impact of Safe@Home on Placement and Permanency Outcomes: Results of a quasi-experimental study
