'I am part of every decision': client perceptions of engagement within a supportive housing child welfare programme.

ABSTRACT The majority of children in the child welfare system enter because of neglect and come from poor families with high rent burden, substandard housing and risk for homelessness. In this paper, we describe a model programme for families with dual vulnerability in housing and child welfare. Clients presented with a variety of parenting, substance use and/or mental health issues. The Supportive Housing for Families (SHF) programme prioritizes prompt family access to housing and related supports and operates from an intensive, family-centred casework that promotes client engagement as a mechanism for change. We used a mixed methods approach that included the administration of Alpert and Britner's Parent Engagement Measure (quantitative) and open-ended interviews (qualitative) with 41 parents involved in the child welfare system. Results indicate high levels of client engagement, with convergence across the formal measure and interview themes. SHF promoted client engagement through the swift provision of tangible resources, as well as caseworker resourcefulness and responsiveness. The Parent Engagement Measure performed well psychometrically. We compare findings with prior research and discuss implications, limitations and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]