Pathways in prevention–subgroups in an early preventive intervention program and their engagement with the child welfare service

This study aimed at identifying subgroups and their trajectories in the German early intervention program “Nobody slips through the net”. The study sample consisted of 308 families with psychosocial risk constellations and 625 families used for validation of the main results. Three assumed subgroups were formed with respect to their involvement with the child and youth welfare service. Results on sociodemographic data and risk factors indicate differentiable, yet very heterogeneous subgroups that differ in psychosocial risk. Referral structures of four separable pathways within the program will be discussed highlighting the role of early intervention in primary and secondary prevention chains.