Timing matters: A randomized control trial of recovery coaches in foster care

Substance use disorders are a major problem for child welfare systems. The abuse of and dependence on alcohol and drugs by parents increases the risk of child maltreatment and interferes with efforts to locate a permanent home for children in foster care. The current study focuses on an intervention designed to increase the probability of reunification for foster children associated with substance using families. We focus specific attention on the timing of the intervention, in particular the timing of comprehensive screening and access to substance abuse services in relation to the temporary custody hearing. A diverse group of children (n=3440) that were placed in foster care and associated with a parent diagnosed with a substance use disorder were randomly assigned to either a control (services as usual) or experimental group (services as usual plus a recovery coach for parents). Binomial logistic regression models indicated that early access to substance use services matters (within two months of the temporary custody hearing) but only when parents were connected with a recovery coach. Additional findings indicated that the recovery coach model eliminated racial disparities in reunification. The implications of these findings are discussed.