Partnerships to Demonstrate Effectiveness of Supportive Housing for Families in the Child Welfare System

This was a randomized controlled trial comparing child welfare business as usual (BAU) with two levels of supportive housing (SH). To identify eligible families, a screening tool was developed that helped social workers apply a \"housing lens\" very early in family child welfare involvement. The study examined the extent to which implementation was faithful to the model and how well state and community partners collaborated. The research included a process evaluation, outcomes study, and economic analysis. Access to either intervention group was associated with higher family preservation and reunification, with service model intensity demonstrating minimal impact. An economic evaluation revealed that the intensive model cost the most, but the existing SH program and routine care incurred equivalent per-child costs.