Cost benefit analysis of the Campbelltown Community Service Centre restoration project
Nicola Robinson
NSW Department of Community Services
Contact Email:   Nicola.Robinsoncommunity.nsw.gov.au

In certain circumstances, children and young people experiencing significant harm or abuse may be placed into out-of-home care (OOHC) by the Department of Community Services (DoCS). Where restoration to family is in the child’s best interests, DoCS is committed to ensuring that restoration occurs. In 2002 DoCS commenced a new program aimed at increasing the number of children and young people in OOHC being restored to their families.

The program involves caseworkers visiting families in their own homes to improve their strengths, advocating for them to secure permanent accommodation, and coordinating services such as drug and alcohol rehabilitation and family counselling. Work with the child and the foster carer also occurs.

A cost benefit analysis of the program found that higher savings in out-of-home care costs over time due to a greater percentage of successful restorations relative to a comparison area outweighed the higher cost of restoration caused by a more intensive caseload.

While the findings are encouraging, the sample size was small and the analysis assumes that restorations in both groups remain intact. The benefits achievable by this sort of program are likely to be underestimated, given that benefits such as reduced parental drug-use were not estimated.

Paper Download Information (if available):

Robinson_221.pdf

Copyright © 2007 Social Policy Research Centre.