MELBOURNE, Fla. – May 18, 2015— A new study published by the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, reveals the value of wraparound interventions and their effectiveness in strengthening families and reducing child maltreatment.
The study, “Reducing Risk: Families in Wraparound Intervention,” observed children of families participating in the Brevard C.A.R.E.S (Coordination, Advocacy, Resources, Education and Support) wraparound intervention, launched by Brevard Family Partnership, to assess whether these children experienced a reduction of maltreatment after completing the intervention program when compared to children facing similar circumstances whose families did not receive wraparound intervention. The study found that children linked to families that completed the wraparound intervention program had reduced incidents of maltreatment 6 months after the program – 93% of those whose families participated in the intervention had no verified maltreatment compared to 30% of those whose families did not participate in the intervention.
“The successful outcomes among the C.A.R.E.S families is directly tied to early engagement and strong inclusive partnerships with youth and families using high fidelity Wraparound care coordination, explains Dr. Patricia Nellius, Brevard Family Partnership’s CEO. “The findings in this study will help enhance systems of care in other communities that support child maltreatment prevention.”
Dr. Nellius designed, piloted, and implemented the Brevard C.A.R.E.S. wraparound model intervention in 2005 after Brevard Family Partnership replaced the state’s traditional child welfare operation with a community-based system of care. The wraparound approach was intended to reach families before the stressors they experienced met the threshold of abuse and neglect. In contrast to the classic child welfare approach of removing a child from a troubled home into the foster care system, the Brevard Family Partnership intervention aims to assist families to identify and develop a system of formal and informal supports within the community and family structures — maintaining that even the most challenged parents or primary caregivers have the potential to make necessary changes.
