This chapter focuses on a major service delivery innovation in child welfare—the provision of intensive in-home services aimed at keeping families together and preventing out-of-home placement of children. It begins with an overview of vulnerable children served by the child welfare system and then discusses the functioning of this system and issues in child welfare practice. The in-home service delivery model is then discussed. Empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this intervention is reviewed, and implications for practice, policy, and future research are presented.

This chapter focuses on a major service delivery innovation in child welfare—the provision of intensive in-home services aimed at keeping families together and preventing out-of-home placement of children. It begins with an overview of vulnerable children served by the child welfare system and then discusses the functioning of this system and issues in child welfare practice. The in-home service delivery model is then discussed. Empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this intervention is reviewed, and implications for practice, policy, and future research are presented.