RESEARCH AND OUTCOMES
Research studies using a variety of designs have shown that SafeCare improves parenting skills and child functioning, and reduces parenting stress.
Evidence-Based Program
SafeCare has been evaluated in high-impact studies, including randomized control trials and high-quality quasi-experimental studies. Studies demonstrate the positive impact of SafeCare with high-risk families relative to case management services or to a no-treatment control. Caregivers who participate in SafeCare have significant reductions in child maltreatment recidivism and parental depression and experience positive impacts on a range of parenting outcomes (increased parenting skill, greater service use and social support and greater use of non-violent discipline). Improved adaptive child behavior functioning has also been noted.
SafeCare Research Addressing Child Welfare Goals for Safety, Permanency and Wellbeing
Safety - Children are first and foremost protected from abuse and neglect. Studies that support reduced child maltreatment recidivism among families who have completed SafeCare versus another program as part of child welfare services:
Chaffin, M., Hecht, D., Bard, D., Silovsky, J. F., & Beasley, W. H. (2012). A statewide trial of the SafeCare home-based services model with parents in child protective services. Pediatrics, 129(3), 509-515. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-1840. Gershater-Molko, R. M., Lutzker, J. R., & Wesch, D. (2002). Using recidivism data to evaluate Project Safecare: Teaching bonding, safety and healthcare skills to parents. Child Maltreatment, 7(3), 277-285.
Chaffin, M., Hecht, D., Bard, D., Silovsky, J.F., Beasley, & W.H. (2012). A statewide trial of the safecare home-based services model with parents in child protective services. Pediatrics, 129(3), 509-515. bit.ly/2ISHci4
Permanency - Children are safely maintained in their homes whenever possible and appropriate. A recent report summarizing a statewide implementation of SafeCare in Colorado found that one year after SafeCare enrollment, parents and caregivers who enroll and complete SafeCare have lower levels of out of home placements (0%) compared to parents who enroll and SafeCare but do not complete the program (7%)).
Beachy-Quick, K., Lee, C., McConnell, L., Orsi, R., Timpe, Z., & Winokur, M. (2018). SafeCare Colorado program evaluation report 2014-2017. Unpublished report, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.
Family and Child Well-Being - Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children’s needs. Studies have indicated that parents and children receive long-term benefits from SafeCare.
In a randomized study that compared SafeCare families to a wait-list control group one year post-intervention, SafeCare parents demonstrated improved parenting practices, reduced depression and their children had higher levels of cooperation and lower aggression compared to families not receiving SafeCare.
Burke, J., Bigelow, K., Carta, J., Borkowski, J., Grandfield, E., McCune, L., Irvin, D., et al. (2017). Long-term impact of a cell phone-enhanced parenting intervention. Child Maltreatment, 22(4), 305-314.
A recent randomized trial of families in four states found families receiving child welfare services that included SafeCare improved positive parenting skills and reduced parenting stress compared to families receiving child welfare services without SafeCare.
Whitaker DJ, Self-Brown, Hayat M, Osborne M, Weeks, E., Reidy D, Lyons M. (2020). Effect of the SafeCare© model on parenting outcomes among parents in child welfare systems: A cluster randomized trial. Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106167
For a complete list of SafeCare published research, please click here.