This presentation will offer one of the first outcome studies testing the impact of a popular program component in child welfare services, family group decision making. This practice encourages families to take an active participatory role in structuring placement options for children entering the child welfare system due to abuse and neglect. The model recognizes that families have the strengths and the power to protect children within their family by sharing the responsibility for children's safety. It values the extended family's knowledge of the life-long attachments to the child. The model, as implemented in Texas, includes family alone time and discourages families from excluding any family members. Findings presented are from an on-going quantitative evaluation of Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), as implemented in the state of Texas, by the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM) conferences were held in 37 counties by the end of 2004. The presentation at SSWR will also include data from conferences held through June of 2005, though the number of conferences included is not yet known. Through 2004, more than 400 conferences were held. Outcomes are compared between counties where conferences were held (experimental) and where they were not yet held (control). Quantitative data was gathered from a variety of sources: the agency's electronic data system known as IMPACT; spreadsheets maintained by FGC specialists; telephone surveys with parents and caregivers; and satisfaction surveys filled out by participants of FGCs and Permanency Plan Team (PPT) meetings. These data enable researchers to assess the following variables for the experimental and control groups: (1) Family Characteristics (2) Conference Characteristics (3) Client Satisfaction (4) Client Perceptions of the Support they Received, and (5) Caregiver and Child Well-being.

Outcomes included the following: conferences lasted an average of three hours with family private time lasting less than an hour. The majority of the family's recommendations for placement were to place children with relatives. CPS accepted the family's recommendations 95 percent of the time. In terms of satisfaction, both parents and relatives are more satisfied with family group conferences than with team meetings as previously practiced. FGDM is viewed as meeting more needs and producing more satisfaction with the amount of support received than standard practice meetings. Parents who attend family group conferences feel more confident in their ability to help their children grow and develop and have a greater understanding of how the service system for children is organized. Interviews are currently underway to ask caregivers about the well-being of the child. In addition to these measures, the most important indicator of success is kin placement rate. Preliminary results show children to be about 25 percent more likely to be placed with kin where FGDM is implemented. Analyses over the coming months will lead to stronger conclusions around kin placement as well as placement stability.