Papers and summary reports may be downloaded (PDF file). To view PDF files you must have Adobe Acrobat 5.0 (or a later version) installed on your machine. Click on one of the following links to go directly to the report or simply page down to browse through report descriptions
Chronic Child Neglect and Abuse
Child Welfare in Minnesota
Mississippi Title IV-E Child Welfare Demonstration
Child Welfare in Missouri
Alternative Response in Three States
Drug Courts
Indiana Title IV-E Foster Care Waiver Demonstration Evaluation
Child Care
Independent Living in Ohio
Juvenile Court Reform in Missouri
Developmental Disabilities Services
Chronic Child Neglect and Abuse
Frequently Encountered Families: Chronic
Child Abuse and Neglect
Frequently Encountered Families: Presentation, Seattle,
2008
Child Welfare in Minnesota
Article from Protecting Children:
Alternative Response in Minnesota
This issue of Protecting Children (available free of charge from the links below) also included the following articles:
- "Differential Response: A common sense reform in child welfare" by Lisa Merket-Holguin
- "The emergence of differential response" by P. Schene
- "Differential responses in child care and protection: Innovative approaches in family-centered practice" by M. Connolly
- "Potential policy implications of alternative response" by Y. Yuan
- "Alternative responses to child maltreatment: Findins from NCANDS" by G. Shusterman, et al.
- "Differential response in child protection: Selecting a pathway" by R. Sawyer and S. Lohrbach
- "Child welfare reform in Minnesota by C. Johnson, E. Sullivan Sutton and D. Thompson
- "Integrating domestic violence intervention into child welfare practice" by R. Sawyer and S. Lohrbach
- "Ways of working in child welfare: A perspective on practice" by S. Lohrbach et al.
Directions for ordering a free copy of the journal can be found at this American Humane Association link
Or you may link directly to NCCAN to order your free copy by clicking here.
Mississippi Title IV-E Child Welfare Demonstration
- Final Evaluation Report, Mississippi Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration, June 2005. The Mississippi Waiver Demonstration was suspended after 42 months in September 2004. This is the final evaluation report of the process, impact and cost-effectiveness studies that were conducted.
Presentation Slides from 2005 Child Welfare Demonstration Project Meeting, Washington, D.C.
- Presentation to the Sixth Annual Child Welfare Demonstration Projects Meeting, Washington, D.C.: Implementation, Progress and Methodology in Indiana and Mississippi, February 2002. Presentation slides and commentary updating the Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Evaluations in Indiana and Mississippi
- Evaluation Research Plan, February 2001. A slightly abbreviated version of the plan for the evaluation research, incorporating diagrams and narrative presented at the Fifth Annual Child Welfare Demonstration Projects Meeting in Washington, D.C., February 2001.
Child Welfare Studies in Missouri
- Differential Response Improves Traditional Investigations: Criminal Arrests for Severe Physical and Sexual Abuse, May 2005 This study involved an analysis of criminal arrests in cases of child sexual abuse and severe and moderate physical child abuse cases in Missouri. Under the Family Assessment and Response Demonstration (see reports above), Missouri introduced a new approach to child abuse and neglect incident reports. Most reports received a non-adversarial home visits. This resulted in more focused and intense investigations of a minority of reports where criminal or at least very serious abuse and neglect of children were suspected. The emphasis of the demonstration was on pursuing criminal charges in such cases, and criminal arrests were seen as the first step in that process. The study compared a sample of perpetrators in investigated cases in demonstration offices with similar cases in comparison offices, where the traditional approach of investigating all reports was still being pursued. Results supported the hypothesis that limiting the number of child abuse and neglect investigations can lead to more intense investigations that are more likely to lead to criminal prosecutions of perpetrators.
- Differential Response in Missouri after Five Years, February 2004. A five-year follow-up of the statewide implementation the Family Assessment and Response approach in Missouri (see digest below of the original 1995 to 1998 evaluation). Missouri was one of the first states to implement the differential response throughout the state. The report includes a follow-up of the families studied in the original 95-98 evaluation, an analysis of data collected from Children's Services county staff through Missouri's 115 counties, and issues of implementation of the (differential response) approach. The report also includes a preliminary assessment of the implementation of the Structured Decision Making (safety and risk assessment) tools in Missouri. The report (in PDF format) can be read or downloaded by clicking on the following link.
- Trends in Sexual Abuse and Chronic Neglect in St. Louis City, May 2002. The analysis focused on changes from 1995 to 2001 in sexual abuse cases, reported child abuse and neglect, and chronic neglect. Families were identified and tracked for the six year period. The report (in PDF format) can be read or downloaded by clicking on the following link.
- Linkages: An Evaluation of an Intensive Home Visitation Project in St. Louis, Missouri, April 2000. Linkages was designed to engage mothers of drug-exposed infants in intensive services that include regular home visitation for a period up to two years after the birth of the infant. This evaluation report considers service and outcome differences between mothers randomly assigned to an experimental group (Linkages clients) and a control group (regular cases of the Missouri Division of Family Services).
- Missouri Family Assessment and Response Demonstration Evaluation Report, January 2000. A report on the results of IAR's evaluation of Missouri's reform of intake procedures in its public child welfare (child protection services) program. The demonstration operated for two years in 16 counties and was later expanded to the entire state. Child abuse and neglect investigations were replaced by non-adversarial family assessment home visits for the large majority of child abuse and neglect incident reports. The summary digest is available in PDF format. The full report can be obtained for $18.00 by ordering directly from IAR.
Alternative Response in Three States
- A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the St. Louis Adult Felony Drug Court, 2004. A study of costs and benefits associated with the adult felony drug court in the City of St. Louis. An experimental design was employed comparing a matched group of 219 individuals charged with drug crimes who successfully completed standard probation to 219 graduates of drug court. Cost and benefit data were collected for a 24-month period preceding entry into drug court or probation, for the period of participation, and for 24 months after probation. Benefit trends were projected for an additional 24 months. The drug court was shown to produce net savings from the perspective of public taxpayer and a positive ratio of benefits to additional program costs compared to probation.
Indiana Title IV-E Foster Care Waiver Demonstration Evaluation
- Final Evaluation Report. The five-year Title IV-E Waiver demonstration ended in December 2002. This is the final revised evaluation report of the process, impact and cost-effectiveness analyses.
- Presentation to the Sixth Annual Child Welfare Demonstration Projects Meeting, Washington, D.C.: Implementation, Progress and Methodology in Indiana and Mississippi, February 2002. Presentation slides and commentary updating the Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Evaluations in Indiana and Mississippi
- Process Evaluation of Minnesota's Child Care Resource and Referral System, December 2000. A study of the implementation of the state CCR&R system and support network. A digest of findings, description of model program elements and ongoing challenges, implications for welfare reform, and recommendations for the future.
- Child Care and AFDC Recipients in Illinois, September 1991. A comprehensive study of the child care needs Illinois cash welfare recipients, available child care resources and their utilization. The research was conducted in 1990 and remains one of the few comprehensive statewide studies of child care in low-income families headed by single women who are working or attending school.
- A Review of Literature on Independent Living, November 2000. A paper reviewing and explaining the research literature on Independent Living of youths in foster and residential care. A full bibliography is included.
- Evaluation of Independent Living Services in Ohio, February 2000. A report on IAR's evaluation of the Ohio Independent Living program. The study collected information from each of Ohio's 88 counties and involved direct interviews with a sample of older youths currently in foster care or independent living arrangements and a second sample of youths who had been emancipated and were living on their own. The summary digest is available in PDF format. The full report can be obtained for $20.00 by ordering directly from IAR.
- An Assessment of Service Needs for Developmental Disabilities Services in St. Charles County, Missouri, June 2002. A report on the findings of a needs assessment conducted for the Developmental Disabilities Resource Board of St. Charles County in Missouri. The objectives of the study were to determine current service needs and to estimate the level of these needs through the end of the decade. The study involved 585 completed surveys of consumers and their families. The report includes a discussion of DD prevalence rate estimates and the use of special education and adult service system data. The report (in PDF format) can be read or downloaded by clicking on the following link.
- A Review of Current Trends in Quality Assurance of Services Provided to Persons with Developmental Disabilities, July 2000. A survey of recent literature and current projects on enhancing the quality of services and programs for persons with developmental disabilities. Bibliography included. The report (in PDF format) can be read or downloaded by clicking on the following link.
- Sheltered Workshops: Systems and Values, Options for the Future, 1998. A study of Sheltered Workshops in St. Louis County that examined workshops at three levels, as individual facilities, as an employment system, and as a sub-system within the broader service system serving persons with developmental disabilities in the county. The summary (in PDF format) can be read or downloaded by clicking on the following link.
- Independent Supported Living Arrangements, October 1997. An examination of the ISLA program in St. Louis County from the perspectives of consumers, families, and support professionals. Includes a methodology for the evaluation of person-centered plans. The digest (in PDF format) can be read or downloaded by clicking on the following link.
- Evaluation of Employment Services for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, 1994. This study examined satisfaction among consumers, caregivers, and employers with employment options and programs, and assessed economic impact on workers with developmental disabilities and their families. The study was conducted for the Productive Living Board of St. Louis County. The executive summary (in PDF format) can be read or downloaded by clicking on the following link.
