“Welfare used to mean darkness – Now it’s beaming with light”: Professionals and parents’ perceptions of a family preservation program in Israel

Few studies have examined the implementation of family preservation and reunification programs. Meeting this gap, a research project examined Israel’s innovative pilot program Families on the Growth Track (FGT). The two-year program was designed to promote the government’s policy of ensuring a permanent and nurturing family for every child by targeting families with difficulties in parental functioning, with children aged 6–18 living in or outside the parental home. The program is informed by existing family preservation models, andits leading paradigm is poverty-aware social work. The present study focused on the perceptions of professionals and participating parents regarding the program. It used semi-structured interviews with four policymakers and eight parents, as well as thirteen professionals. Additional data were collected online from 100 relevant professionals in all welfare departments participating in the pilot. According to the program social workers (PSWs), families suitable for the program were motivated to change and able to benefit from help. The parents were highly satisfied with the availability of the PSW and warm relationship with her, her work on rights take-up, and interservice coordination. They were also satisfied with the flexible budget enabling them to receive tailored wraparound services, combining concrete assistance with psychosocial treatment. Nevertheless, the PSWs experienced their role as more difficult and less rewarding than that of ordinary family social workers, which was given as explanation for their high turnover. Finally, both parents and professionals felt the program’s duration was insufficient. Implications for future research and practice are suggested.