The Safe Babies Approach Evidence and Impact handout presents key evaluation outcomes for children 0-3 and their parents. The findings reflect the current evidence base for the approach, based on the multiple evaluation studies conducted to date. Outcomes are presented by domain: Safety, Type of Permanency, Time to Permanency, Placement Stability, Child Access to Developmental Health Services, and Parent Access to Services. The handout also provides a snapshot of findings about improved cross-sector collaboration in Safe Babies sites.

The mixed-method implementation and outcomes evaluation of the ITCP was conducted by an external evaluator (RTI International). The study was funded with a four-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Maternal and Child Health Bureau to ZERO TO THREE. The first cohort of “Evaluation Sites” comprised eight sites who launched in Year 1 of the project period, and two additional Evaluation Sites that launched in Year 2. Additional grant funding during Year 3 allowed for the addition of a second cohort of sites that included five states (each with three new sites), a new site in Pinellas County in Year 2 (replacing an ITC site in that county that discontinued participation in the evaluation), and a third cohort of two “increased reach” sites that focused on increasing the number of children and families served.

A retrospective evaluation study from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) provides further evidence that the Safe Babies Court Team™ (SBCT) improves outcomes for very young children in the child welfare system.

Infographic of American Institutes for Research (AIR) SBCT Evaluation, Oct 2020

Executive summary of the full American Institutes for Research (AIR) SBCT Evaluation, October 2020

Final Evaluation Report of the Quality Improvement Center for Research-Based Infant-Toddler Court Teams

Executive Summary of the QIC-ITCT 2017 Final Evaluation Report

One-page document summarizing key findings regarding safety outcomes from the QIC-ITCT Evaluation

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Family Risk Factors, and Child Permanency Outcomes of Very Young Children Involved in Safe Babies Court Team™ Sites, 2018

The first Safe Babies Court Team evaluation, completed in 2009 by James Bell Associates, looked at evidence of system change, knowledge among Court Teams stakeholders regarding the impact of maltreatment on early development, and short-term outcomes for infants and toddlers monitored by the Safe Babies Court Teams.