Family preservation: a potential not yet realized

When they received widespread promotion and support beginning in the 1980s, family preservation services seemed to hold much promise for the child welfare field, and for the lives of families and children. Unfortunately, this promise has never been fully realized throughout the United States. This article traces the recent history of family preservation services, examines some of the reasons why efforts to implement family preservation services have been less than completely successful, and proposes a strategy for ensuring that these services reach their potential in the future.