title: Can the actions of child welfare case managers predict case outcomes?
abstract: This study examined the effect of efforts made by child welfare case managers to involve parents in case processes on two divergent case outcomes: reunification and the termination of parental rights (TPR). The sample was comprised of a cohort of children who received child protection services while in out-of-home care during fiscal year 2009-2010 and were randomly selected by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) for their case management quality of practice reviews. Findings revealed that when child welfare case managers made efforts to encourage and support parents in participating in child-related decisions and activities, there were increased chances for timely reunification. However, these same efforts were only associated with a lower risk of TPR for mothers and not for fathers. Implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Down Blvd., Tampa, FL, 33612, United States. Electronic address: yampol@usf.edu.
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yampolskaya
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Down Blvd., Tampa, FL, 33612, United States. Electronic address: miarmstr@usf.edu.
authors.forename: Mary I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Down Blvd., Tampa, FL, 33612, United States. Electronic address: strozier@usf.edu.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strozier
authors.affiliation: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Peck Hall Room 1306, Edwardsville, IL, 62026, United States. Electronic address: jswanke@siue.edu.
authors.forename: Jayme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Swanke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000071959:Case Managers; D002648:Child; D002655:Child Custody; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D004505:Education, Nonprofessional; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010290:Parents; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: Child welfare; Parent involvement; Reunification; Termination of parental rights