The Effectiveness of Aftercare Services for African American Families Article

The Effectiveness of Aftercare Services for African American Families in an Intensive Family Preservation Program - Article Example Family preservation programs in general tend to focus on prevention of unnecessary placements and future maltreatments. Hence this evaluation study has been an outcome based study program. The study was conducted after evaluation of previous programs in which it was found that treatment programs designed for neglected families have found very little success due to consistent lack of social support. And in particular African American children in particular form a majority in foster care and are less placed compared to their white counter parts. This study was designed to check the effectiveness of a Family Enhancement Program (FEP) established in 1994 that examined the rates of placements and neglect. 2. Identify the research design (e.g., secondary analysis, group design) and the specific sampling design used. Discuss the appropriateness of the design used with respect to internal and external validity. A longitudinal study design was used for the study in which families that were admitted to the FEP program were taken for observation. The reports and placements 1 year prior to the admission of the family up to 1 year following the termination of the final family admitted were considered for the family. As reports pertaining to 1 year before and 1 year after the study program was only considered the validity of study was appropriate. 3. Identify the key variables that were measured. How was each variable operationally defined, and how was each measured? Describe the data sources, data collection procedures, and instruments used. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the measurement method used. The major variables that were considered and measured in the program were placements, neglect, aftercare and other variables. During the time period of the study the placements of children in foster care, family foster care, residential and assessment services and hospital placement were monitored. An episode was considered