Evidence
Randomized Trials
- Children and adolescents from CWS leaving a state psychiatric hospital
- Boys from juvenile justice for chronic delinquency
- Girls from juvenile justice with severe mental health problems and abuse histories (2)
- Child welfare “challenging” children
- Child welfare children receiving a next placement
- 6th grade girls in foster care
- Young children in foster care
Boys Follow Up Outcomes
Safety
- ½ the number of arrests (and significantly lower violence rates)
- 2/3 fewer days incarcerated
- Significantly less hard drug use
Permanency
- Significantly more time living with family
- Fewer runaways
- Less time with antisocial friends on the street
Well-being
- Higher rates of school attendance and homework completion
- Higher ratings of life satisfaction
Girls Follow Up Outcomes
- Reduced delinquency (arrests, days in locked settings)
- Reduced deviant peer association
- Increased school attendance & homework time
- Fewer unintended pregnancies
- Reduced depressive symptoms
- Decreased psychotic symptoms
Girls Long Term Outcomes Compared to Treatment as Usual (9.5 yrs.)
- Decreased criminal offenses
- Decreased severity of offenses committed
- Decreased unintended pregnancies
- Decreased depressive symptoms
- Decreased suicidal ideation
- Partner choice is related to long term substance use outcomes for THC and hard drugs
- Decreased involvement in Child Welfare system as parent
Cost Savings
TFCO has a demonstrated, long-term cost benefit!
For every $1.00 spent on TFCO treatment compared to usual care, there is a benefit of:
- $3.15 at 4.5 years, when considering child welfare and criminal justice involvement.
- $4.35 at 9½ years, when considering child welfare and criminal justice involvement.