A post-reunification service model: Implementation and population served

Abstract Nationally, nearly half (49%) of all children removed from their parents’ home due to maltreatment subsequently return to live with their parents. However, families struggle to stay together after reunification, with between 20% and 40% of children re-entering foster care within 5 years (Font et al., 2018; Lee et al., 2012). Catawba County in North Carolina, recognizing that families often face multiple challenges and can benefit from an advocate and coach to help them build internal capacity and resilience, developed the Success Coach post-reunification program. Success Coaches work with families after a child is reunified with their family to help stabilize, build resiliency, and other protective factors within the family. In 2015 Catawba County expanded this service to five additional counties and initiated a randomized, controlled study, using a mixed-methods design, including both outcome and implementation components. Research questions focused on: 1) if children in families that received Success Coach services are less likely to be reported for subsequent maltreatment; 2) if children in families that received Success Coach services are less likely to re-enter care/return to agency custody; 3) if children in families that received Success Coach services are more likely to experience positive well-being; 4) factors that play a role in families’ decisions to participate in Success Coach services; and 5) other contextual factors, such as other services available in the community, that might affect outcomes. Referrals to the study, as well as enrollment in and uptake of services, were lower than anticipated, resulting in a smaller than expected sample with not enough power to detect statistically significant differences between treatment and control groups. This article presents descriptive information on the 25 families that enrolled and received Success Coach services and 38 families in a control group using data from baseline and follow-up surveys and administrative data to examine safety, placement stability, and well-being. In addition, information gathered from focus groups and interviews with program staff and families enrolled in the study was used to understand perceptions of the service, as well as facilitators and barriers to implementation. Nine children (45%) in the treatment group and 21 children (60%) in the control group were the alleged victim of a maltreatment allegation made after the family agreed to participate in the study. One child in the treatment group (5%) and two children in the control group (6%) re-entered care during the study period, with the rest remaining at home. Approximately half the families in both groups reported similar or improved protective factors from baseline to follow-up. Parents were reluctant to engage with Success Coach partly due to prior negative experiences with child welfare services. Parents who did choose to work with a Success Coach were overwhelmingly positive about the service they received. Success Coaches reported high levels of need among families and low levels of community and natural supports. Lessons learned are presented and suggestions for future research are discussed.