In 1999, Allegheny County became the first county in Pennsylvania to implement Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), an intervention designed to improve safety and permanency for maltreated children. FGDM involves bringing a family’s natural support system to the table with the formal child welfare system when making critical decisions, including placement decisions. In 2011, with the support of Casey Family Programs, the Department of Human Services commissioned Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to evaluate the effectiveness of FGDM.
This report describes Chapin Hall’s research into the impact of FGDM on the 2,908 children who were enrolled from 2001 through 2010.