Iterations of the SafeCare model: an evidence-based child maltreatment prevention program

SafeCare is an evidenced-based parenting program for at-risk and maltreating parents that addresses the social and family ecology in which child maltreatment occurs. SafeCare home visitors focus on behavioral skills that are trained to predetermined performance criteria. Recent research has stressed the importance of successful dissemination and implementation of evidence-based models. This article describes the history of the SafeCare model, critical features involved with past and current implementation of the program, populations that have received SafeCare services, staff who have implemented the program, and factors associated with SafeCare implementation. As well, it notes projects currently occurring in Oklahoma and Kansas and at the Center for Child Well-Treatment, at the Marcus Institute, in Atlanta, Georgia.