Kinship care has been widely promoted as a preferred placement strategy in child welfare; however, rigorous evaluations of specific kinship service models remain limited. This study examines whether participation in A Second Chance, Inc.’s (ASCI) Point-of-Contact (PoC) model is associated with improved placement stability and permanency outcomes compared to other kinship care services. Using administrative data from Allegheny County (2018-2023), the sample included 2,593 children placed in kinship care. Outcomes included placement disruptions, number of child welfare episodes, reentry into care, and permanency type, including Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodianship (SPLC). Results indicate that children served through the PoC model experienced significantly greater stability and improved permanency outcomes. Compared to children served by non-ASCI agencies, PoC participants had lower rates of reentry (37.4%vs.50.5%), fewer placement episodes, and fewer placement disruptions. While no significant differences were observed in adoption or reunification, children in the PoC model were significantly more likely to achieve permanency through SPLC. Additional analyses showed that placement with relative kin was associated with greater stability and a lower likelihood of reentry compared to non-relative (fictive) kin placements. Importantly, the advantages of the PoC model persisted even among children placed with relatives, suggesting that outcomes were not solely attributable to caregiver type. Findings suggest that structured, kin-first service models that integrate early intervention, triadic family engagement, and culturally responsive supports may enhance placement stability and promote sustainable permanency. These results have important implications for child welfare policy and practice, particularly in supporting kinship caregivers and addressing structural inequities.

This paper reports findings from the process evaluation of a community-based child maltreatment prevention program piloted in communities with unmet needs in a Midwestern state. The evaluation exam...

Increased attention has been paid in recent years to the study of human flourishing, yet few established tools exist to measure flourishing in marginalized youth populations. The validity of the adolescent version of the Flourishing Index (AFI) was recently substantiated in a sample of youth aging out of foster care. AFI scores are interpreted here as a brief, multidimensional indicator of flourishing among U.S. youth ages 18 to 24 with foster care experience. Building on prior evidence based on internal structure and measurement invariance, this study examines additional validity evidence based on relations with other variables. Convergent and discriminant patterns of association with the PERMA-Profiler, a widely used multidimensional well-being framework, are examined. Incremental prediction of general self-efficacy beyond PERMA was examined using hierarchical regression. These findings provide additional validity evidence for the use of AFI scores in this population. Further evidence is needed before AFI scores are used for individual-level decisions or for program accountability.