Enhancing investigative decisions in child welfare: an exploratory use of intensive family preservation services.

Investigative decisions in a child welfare agency were enhanced by the use of brief, intensive, family preservation services. Almost from the moment of referral, personnel worked with child protection investigators to assess the needs and resources of families in crisis and to effectuate viable management plans. Six months after the investigations, 69 randomly assigned families who received the experimental services were compared to the 65 families in the control group. Differences were noted in the number of cases opened, length of time the case was open, length of time the child was at home, and the families' satisfaction with the agency.