Long-Term Economic Benefit of Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) for Adolescent Females Referred to Congregate Care for Delinquency.

Abstract

Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) is an alternative to congregate care, for youth involved in the juvenile justice and/or child welfare systems. Though demonstrated as clinically-and cost-effective across multiple rigorous trials, the long-term cost benefit of TFCO has not been considered. This study follows n = 166 females from adolescence to young adulthood, who were involved in both systems and referred for out-of-home-care. Records of arrest, court, incarceration (juvenile, jail, and prison), monitoring (parole and probation) and child-welfare services were included in a long-term cost-benefit analysis. Outcomes highlight ongoing benefit of the TFCO intervention, nearly 10 years post-intervention.