Putting Families First: An Experiment in Family Preservation

Abstract

This volume is a comprehensive evaluation of the largest randomized experiment to date on placement prevention programs: the Family First program in Illinois. It offers insights into the tensions between policies advocating family preservation and those favoring out-of-home placement. The authors conclude by suggesting that placement prevention programs are but one component in a comprehensive effort to reform the child welfare system, and that those efforts should include both improvements in the foster care system and more refined decision-making in individual cases.