In 2007, HSE West Child and Family Services in Mayo and Roscommon introduced a new way of working with children and Families. Known as Mol an Óige, this new way of working was modelled on an approach developed and operated by Boys Town USA. Three distinct parts were adopted from the American organisation: the In-Home Family Preservation service; the Treatment Foster Care service; and the Common Sense Parenting programme. As part of this new arrangement, Child and Family Services in both counties asked the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre to evaluate the In-Home Family Preservation and Treatment Foster Care services. This document is an Executive Summary of the final evaluation report of the former, the In-Home Family Preservation Service.

In-home family preservation service: programme description and context:
The Mol an Óige Family Preservation Model (‘Mol an Óige’) is predominantly a teaching model aimed at working in a strengths and outcome-orientated way to meet the varying needs of children and families in different settings. Owing its origins to both ecological and multi-systemic treatment models, Mol an Óige as delivered in Roscommon and Mayo was introduced by the HSE and Boys Town USA to services in both counties in 2007. The model draws on behavioural approaches to addressing issues within a nested context of individual, family, peer, school and community domains. The emphasis is on developing practical skills in families through building relationships, teaching, creating a positive family environment, and promoting self-determination. It is designed for families where there is a risk of an out-of-home placement or where such a placement has already occurred. It can also be used to prevent serious problems from occurring in children’s and families’ lives.

The Model has three phases: Initiation and Relationship Building; Implementation; and Phasing Out. The support provided by each worker to families occurs within a structured process of pre and post intervention assessment, outcome-orientated family plans, supervision, observation, fidelity monitoring, and file auditing.