An evaluation of MacKillop Family Services’ Family Preservation and Reunification Response for vulnerable families

The Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) Response: The FPR Response is a family service program that aims to provide intensive support to families where the child(ren) is/are at significant risk of being removed and placed in out-of-home care (i.e., alternative care placement when it is unsafe for the child to remain in the care of their parent/s), or to enable the reunification of removed children in a timely manner. The family's key practitioner engages with the family intensively over a period of six months, defined as a home visit for at least one hour, three times a week. Practitioners implement evidence-informed methods that focus on parenting skills, parent-child attachment and capacity to effectively respond during a crisis. The mode of delivery is variable, depending on each families' needs, but may include cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, systemic therapy, and case management. These methods support families to meet their goals and the program's available brokerage funds are used as an enabler as needed. The program is also designed to support families to link into the community and its services to build independence, self-sufficiency, and a social network. Multi-disciplinary teams forged through partnerships with other agencies enhances the direct engagement of families with experts in parenting, drug and alcohol services as well as regional care, to deliver specialised support to families. No physical informational materials will be provided to participants. To monitor adherence, key practitioners will complete regular case notes to document all occasions of contact or attempted contact with the family, mode and type of intervention delivered during each home visit, and which family members were present at each home visit (i.e., at least one parent will be present for every home visit, and children may be included at various stages through program delivery as well, depending on each family's needs and goals). Practitioners will undergo the Multi-Systemic Family Therapy training, Circle of Security training, and Newborn Observation Training delivered by MacKillop Family Services.