The Effects of Service Coordination on Disadvantaged Parents’ Participation in Activation Programs and Employment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose This randomized controlled study evaluates the effects of coordinated follow-up within a family intervention project on parents’ participation in activation programs and employment. The trial has been registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03102775). Methods Of 2634 families, 1429 families were randomized to be offered follow-up by a family coordinator, while 1205 families participated in ordinary follow-up without a family coordinator. An analysis of longitudinal administrative data was performed to estimate the effects of the intervention on parents’ participation in activation programs and employment by comparing the two follow-up methods. Results Based on fixed effects logistic models, the follow-up with a family coordinator is associated with non-significant effects on participation in activation programs (OR = 1.05, 95% CI [0.81, 1.37]) and employment (OR = 1.11, 95% CI [0.67, 1.82]). Discussion The results provide no significant evidence on the effectiveness of coordination efforts for disadvantaged families on activation and employment.