The Emergency Services Child Abuse Prevention Program operated as part of the home-based unit of the clinical services division of the Child and Family Agency, a comprehensive community-based child and family guidance facility. The program sought to: (1) meet the multiple needs of families; (2) allow rapid, barrier-free access to substance-abuse treatment services; (3) reach children and youth from prenatal development to age 18; and (4) establish contractual and collaborative relationships at all levels of health and social services. After 1 year of the 3- year project, several factors were already evident. First was the importance of teaming community referral sources with the home-based family preservation component of the model. Other observations involve the tension that occurs between researchers and referral agents when experimental field research is undertaken; the benefits of including in the service delivery a medical component and respite child care; and the value of extending treatment or services beyond the initial 4-week intervention. References