SafeCare+ is an adaption of SafeCare® for high-risk families in rural populations.
SafeCare+ consists of the original SafeCare® program with the addition of motivational interviewing and training home visitors to identify and respond to imminent child maltreatment and risk factors of substance abuse, depression, and intimate partner violence.
The original program: SafeCare® is a behavioral parent training program delivered through home visiting. It targets parental risk factors for child physical abuse and neglect. SafeCare® was designed to be implemented with families at risk for maltreatment. The program is designed for parents of children ages 0–5 years and teaches a variety of skills focused on positive parenting, home safety, and child health.
See also SafeCare, SafeCare+ and the SafeCare Dad to Kids Program Summaries in the Reducing Child Harm and Maltreatment Evidence Review.
SafeCare+ is designed for multi-problem at-risk families with young children involved in the child welfare system in rural communities.
The program has only been tested in the USA (Silovsky et al. 2011).
A randomised control trial was conducted with 105 people (48 people were in the intervention group and 57 people were in the control group). On average, parents were 27 years old. Most parents were Caucasian, and household income was not reported.
SafeCare+ has not been tested in Australia, or with Aboriginal Australians.
Overall, the SafeCare+ has mixed effect on client outcomes.
Mixed research evidence (with no adverse effects):
SafeCare+ is implemented using the standard SafeCare® program protocol. It consists of three core modules: parent-child interaction, home safety and child health. In addition to these three modules, SafeCare+ includes motivational interviewing and home visitors are trained to identify and respond to imminent child maltreatment and risk factors of substance abuse, depression, and intimate partner violence.
SafeCare+ is typically conducted in weekly home visits lasting from 60-90 minutes each. The program typically lasts 18-20 weeks for each family.
Each module is taught over approximately 6 sessions. Each module begins with an observational assessment to determine parents’ current skills and areas in need of improvement. A series of training sessions follows and home visitors work with parents until they show mastery of module skills. A final observational assessment is used to assess parents’ uptake of skills. Parenting skills are taught by:
A structured problem-solving process is used to teach parents to solve many difficulties. Good communication skills are emphasised to engage parents and build rapport.
Parent-Child Interaction Module: targets risk factors associated with neglect and physical abuse. Parents learn to increase positive interactions with their child, structure daily activities by providing engaging and stimulating activities, and prevent difficult child behavior. The content is tailored to the age of the child.
Child Health Module: targets risk factors for medical neglect. This module teaches parents to identify childhood illnesses and injuries, and then follow a structured process to determine when and how to care for the child. Parents learn when and how to care for a child at home, when to see a doctor, and when to seek emergency help. Parents are also taught to use health reference materials, including a validated SafeCare health manual.
Home Safety Module: targets risk factors for environmental neglect and unintentional injury. This module focuses on helping parents identify and eliminate common household hazards. They are also taught the importance of supervision.
Not Reported
The SafeCare+ program is specifically targeted at at-risk families in rural communities.
One Randomised Controlled Trial with 105 participants in the USA, involving 105 participants (Silovsky et al. 2011).
SafeCare website: https://safecare.publichealth.gsu.edu
SafeCare model fact sheet: https://safecare.publichealth.gsu.edu/files/2015/04/Overview-of-SafeCare-brochure-3-16-15.pdf
24 Feb 2023
We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the First Nations Peoples of NSW and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future.
Informed by lessons of the past, Department of Communities and Justice is improving how we work with Aboriginal people and communities. We listen and learn from the knowledge, strength and resilience of Stolen Generations Survivors, Aboriginal Elders and Aboriginal communities.
You can access our apology to the Stolen Generations.