How Long Will It Take? Investigating Relations Between Child, Parent and Family Characteristics and Intervention Duration in Family-Focused Youth Care in The Netherlands

Identifying child, parent, and family characteristics at the start of family-focused youth care related to intervention duration is relevant for families, policymakers, and funders. Data from 86 families across four organizations showed no associations with baseline characteristics or functioning. Only single parenthood and the care-providing organization predicted longer duration.Mean intervention duration was 466 days. Substantial rates of prior care use and recommended follow-up care were observed, suggesting that family-focused youth care is often embedded within a broader care trajectory.Intervention duration may be the result of interactions between family’s needs, professional decision-making, organizational context, and the broader care trajectory.