Do Intensive Specialized Services Prevent Family Separation in Parents with Intellectual Disabilities? A Treatment...

Area of Science:

• Child Welfare
• Developmental Disabilities
• Family Support Services

Background:

• Parents with intellectual disabilities face higher risks of child welfare involvement and family separation.
• Existing support programs are insufficient for this population, with limited evidence on their effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Project IMPACT, an in-home, skills-based positive parenting program.
• To determine if Project IMPACT can prevent out-of-home placement for families with parents with intellectual disabilities.

Main Methods:

• Treatment effects analysis comparing Project IMPACT families with those receiving non-specialized services.
• Focus on intensive, in-home, skills-based positive parenting interventions.

Main Results:

• Project IMPACT demonstrated high effectiveness in maintaining family intactness.
• The program significantly reduced family separation, with greatest benefits observed in early childhood.

Conclusions:

• Parents with intellectual disabilities can acquire skills to ensure child safety and maintain their families.
• Child welfare organizations should develop, replicate, and evaluate specialized interventions like Project IMPACT for parents with intellectual disabilities.