@article{63cfb499b39d44d69cbbb40763c3b8e6,
title = "Characteristics of adult caretakers of children and youth served by an urban child welfare agency",
abstract = "The child welfare system of the early 1990s was marked by the proliferation of home-based services. Research on the effectiveness of various home-based interventions indicates results have been equivocal. The need to make explicit the specific characteristics of the adults and children targeted for home-based services, particularly families from diverse cultural backgrounds, has been identified as a critically needed contribution to the literature. In this study, the characteristics and service utilization experiences of adults and families served in an urban, home-based, child welfare program was examined. The results are discussed in relation to findings on the characteristics and experiences of adults and families served in other settings. Implications for future research and service delivery are discussed.",
keywords = "Characteristics of adult caretakers, Child welfare system, Home-based services, Service utilization experiences",
author = "Epstein, {Michael H.} and Quinn, {Kevin P.} and Karl Dennis and Kathy Dennis and Ron Hardy and Janet McKelvey and Carla Cumblad",
note = "Funding Information: We conducted this study as part of a child welfare evaluation initiative sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In 1993, the Foundation committed to supporting the evaluation of child welfare programs that were nationally recognized as exemplary. Four such programs were identified for thorough evaluation including the Satellite Family Outreach Program of Kaleidoscope Inc. in Chicago, Illinois. The Satellite program provides an excellent opportunity to specifically examine the characteristics and service utilization experiences of culturally diverse families served in an urban, home-based, child welfare program. The specific purposes of this study were (a) to detail procedures that one child welfare agency followed to identify the pertinent characteristics and service utilization experiences of families with children and youth at risk for out-of-home placements or currently in such placements and working toward reunification with their families; (b) to compare and contrast their findings with characteristics and experiences identified in other studies; and (c) to discuss the implications these findings have for future service delivery and research efforts. Funding Information: This article was supported in part by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Evaluation Grants Program. The opinions and statements are those of the authors and in no way represent positions of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The authors wish to thank Kaleidoscope administrators for their support in the current evaluation, the Satellite staff members for their assistance, Dr. Cynthia Guy, Senior Research Associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, for her continued support and assistance with the over-all evaluation, Jennifer Sharma for her assistance in collecting and analyzing the data, and Deb Holderness for her help in preparing the article.",
year = "1998",
doi = "10.1023/A:1022941527958",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "7",
pages = "297--316",
journal = "Journal of Child and Family Studies",
issn = "1062-1024",
publisher = "Springer New York",
number = "3",
}