Using recidivism data to evaluate project safecare: teaching bonding, safety, and health care skills to parents.

Project SafeCare was an in-home research and intervention, grant-funded program designed to teach parents who were reported for child abuse and neglect. Parents who participated in Project SafeCare received training in three aspects of child care: treating illnesses and maximizing their health-care skills (health), positive and effective parent-child interaction skills (bonding), and maintaining hazard-free homes (safety) for their children. Postcontact (after initial intake was made and the program began) incidents of child abuse and neglect for maltreating parents who participated in and completed Project SafeCare were compared to a comparison group of maltreating families from the point of initial intake through a 24-month follow-up period. The comparison group (referred to as the Family Preservation group) received intervention from Family Preservation programs. Families who participated in Project SafeCare had significantly lower reports of child abuse and neglect than families in the comparison group.