Enduring Outcomes of Family-focused Youth Care: A Systematic Review of Child, Parent and Family Functioning After Care and at Follow-up.

Background: Given the impact of growing up in vulnerable families on opportunities in life and the large numbers of families with severe parenting and child functioning problems who repeatedly receive some form of youth care, it is important to investigate the long-term outcomes of the provided care.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether outcomes endure over a longer period of time, by exploring the effects of family-focused youth care on child, parental and family functioning at the end of care and at follow-up moments.

Method: A systematic search was conducted in three databases (Psycinfo, Web of Science and ERIC), using search terms matching youth care and long-term effects. Effects between start and end of care, between end and follow up moments and between start and follow up moments on child, parent and family functioning were systematically mapped out.

Results: Twenty-six articles were included describing effects of family-focused youth care at post treatment and at least one follow-up moment. The results demonstrated positive outcomes in short and longer term as improvement was found in child, parent and family functioning at the end of care and follow-up moments.

Conclusions: Despite the positive outcomes, determining long-term effects of youth care turned out to be difficult, as most studies organize follow-up moments within one year of the end of care. Moreover, there may also be an intertwined effect of the provided and possible follow-up care. More longitudinal research with follow-up moments over multiple years is required to investigate the durability of outcomes.