Random Assignment

It is widely believed that the existing child welfare system is in crisis. In response, many have called for the implementation of intensive family preservation programs. In this brief paper, we identify four issues to be considered when attempting to evaluate the success or failure of family preservation programs. First, we emphasize why evaluators and policy makers must specify the goals or purposes of their interventions in order to ensure that their assessments are valid. Second, we discuss the treatment or “independent variables,” and the need to avoid confusing the independent variables (effects). Third, we review some basic experimental design and measurement considerations that are likely to affect the credibility and comprehensiveness of the evaluation. Finally, we offer some ideas about the sorts of measures that could be used in a large multisite intervention study.