Yellowhead Youth Family Support program gets positive evaluation

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A home-based community-centered program offering support to troubled families is reducing the potential for child abuse while keeping families together.

The Yellowhead Youth Centre's Family Support Program, operated by the Edmonton Region of Alberta Social Services, is an alternative to placing children in residential care.

A recent evaluation showed 94 per cent of children remained in their families at least three months following involvement with Family Support. The program accepts referrals from the seven Alberta Social Services district offices in Edmonton city.

Families served by the program typically include one or more children considered to be at risk of apprehension by the department. Usually, families are experiencing so much trouble managing their lives that their children are in need of protective services.

Family support staff, who are experienced child care councillors, work with families in their homes on areas such as child management, counselling, life skills, system advocacy and transition of children from the care of the department. Specialized parent education and support groups are also offered.

The program is preventive in nature, maintaining the dignity of families who are 'partners' rather than 'clients' of the counsellors. Family Support reinforces families' competence instead of fostering dependence.

The evaluation of the program, conducted from May 1985 to May 1986, shows Family Support is an efficient, cost-effective alternative to more-intrusive methods. It provides cost savings by avoiding foster home or institutional placements.

Results of the evaluation indicated 83 per cent of cases were successful. Only six per cent of children had to be placed outside the family, even several months after families were discharged from the he program.

Data was also collected on families served by the program. The study shows that typical primary caretaker of the children is a poor, ill-educated Caucasian (white) woman who became a mother at an early age. The majority raise their children alone.

Families were referred to the program because of poor parenting skills, conflicts between parents and children or because of abuse and neglect.

The program is designed to be flexible to meet varying needs of individual families. Results of a parent questionnaire suggests the program does so effectively - 91 per cent thought the Family Support services helped them deal more effectively with their problems.

"The data consistently suggests the program has major, positive impact on people's lives," the program evaluation concludes.