Launched in January 2008, the Family Drug and Alcohol Court is a new way of dealing with care proceedings when parental substance misuse causes harm to children.
This report presents the findings from the evaluation of the first pilot Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) in England and Wales, conducted by a research team at Brunel University, with funding from the Nuffield Foundation and the Home Office. The evidence from this evaluation suggests that FDAC is a promising approach.
Key Findings
- More FDAC than comparison parents had controlled their substance misuse by the end of proceedings and had been reunited with their children.
- FDAC parents were engaged in more substance misuse services over a longer period of time than comparison parents.
- There is evidence of financial savings in FDAC cases in relation to court hearings, out-of-home placements, and the reduction in the number of contested proceedings.