Building Evidence for a Preventive Parenting Intervention for Clients with Intellectual Disabilities

This project will evaluate the efficacy of Project IMPACT, an intensive in-home training program for parents with intellectual disabilities who are at risk of child removal due to allegations of child maltreatment. Children whose parents have intellectual disabilities are more likely to be placed in foster care, which is associated with long-term negative outcomes related to mental health, substance use, and education.

Project IMPACT (Improving Parenting Achievements Together), of Westchester County, NY, provides interventions that support parents and healthy child development, aiming to prevent children from entering or re-entering foster care. Project IMPACT social workers ensure that parents with intellectual disabilities can access a range of appropriate services. Project findings will be used to inform Project IMPACT’s services, while targeting the health inequities associated with race, class, and intellectual disability in the child welfare and mental health systems.