Empirical Studies of Child Welfare Training Effectiveness: Methods and Outcomes

Abstract

Although public child welfare agencies, as well as contracted private providers, conduct extensive amounts of training, the evaluation evidence for effectiveness of training interventions is sparse. This article provides a critical review of published reports of the child welfare training evaluation literature. When we conducted a search of the literature published since 1990, 14 articles met the criteria for inclusion. These articles are reviewed according to: training audience, training duration, research design, sample size, outcome measures, and reported results. Our conclusions identify strengths and weaknesses in evaluation approaches to date and suggest strategies for enhancing the evidence base of this core intervention in child welfare.

Acting Like It Matters: A Scoping Review of Simulation in Child Welfare Training

“…In common with observations from others' reviews of studies of training in child protection in general (Carter et al, 2006, Collins et al, 2010 it is as if training the workforce is a forgotten component in child protection research, theorizing, and policy initiatives. While the evidence provided in this review is not sufficient for us to wholeheartedly recommend use of simulation, it does warrant further development and study.…”

“…And yet there is a paucity of rigorous studies that contribute to an evidence base for educational and continuing training interventions and programs (Carter et al, 2006;Collins et al, 2010). A crucial component of ensuring child safety is child protection workers' competence in working with high-risk families.…”

“…A recent critical review of simulation-based medical education research (SBME) observed that research into SBME has matured over the past 40 years and, given the impact and educational utility of such research, will likely increase in the future. Consistent with reviews of evaluations of training in child welfare (Carter et al, 2006;Collins et al, 2010) stronger research designs, recognition of the complexity of evaluating effectiveness, and integration with organization teaching contexts is recommended (McGaghie et al, 2010). Recent studies in social work on the use of simulation-based training demonstrates positive student learning outcomes in generic social work skills (Bogo et al, 2012;Logie et al, 2013;Rawlings, 2012) and in cultural competence (Lu et al, 2011).…”

“…Two reviews are particularly informative. Collins, Kim, and Amodeo (2010) found variation in populations addressed (involuntary clients, Native Americans), content areas (domestic violence, interagency collaboration), and practices (investigative interviewing, leading teams, family-focused, entrylevel casework). Training designs varied in length, from 6 hours to 3 months, and in their design, including classroom training and supervision, didactic teaching and role play, video feedback, and use of the internet.…”

Implementing transfer of learning in training and professional development in a US public child welfare agency: what works?

“…Of particular concern is the degree of empirical support for training effectiveness in evaluation studies. Collins et al (2010) found only 14 studies of empirically based child welfare training evaluation in their literature review of articles published in peer-reviewed journals since 1990. Antle et al (2008) advanced a model for child welfare training evaluation in 2008, but as yet little research has emerged in follow-up studies.…”