How can the child welfare system protect young people from commercial sexual exploitation?
Learn how child protection agencies and partner systems can best support youth who are victims or at risk of sex trafficking.
Safe children
We work in support of a range of public, private, tribal and community partners to safely reduce the need for foster care and prevent recurrence of maltreatment. Leaders from the field routinely ask questions about practices and policies that improve safety outcomes for children. The documents featured here reflect responses to inquiries about how to keep children safe.
Are home visiting programs effective in reducing child maltreatment?
Learn about home visiting models that are effective in reducing child maltreatment.
Does limiting government surveillance compromise child safety?
Understand how the COVID-19 shutdown resulted in limited surveillance without compromising child safety in New York City.
If I knew then what I know now: Seven strategies to reduce child abuse and neglect fatalities
Drawing on his experience as a child welfare leader, David Sanders offers recommendations for reducing child abuse and neglect fatalities.
What are the outcomes for youth placed in group and institutional settings?
This overview describes the negative impacts of group and institutional settings and posits strategies for eliminating their overuse.
How are child welfare leaders applying safety science to critical incident reviews?
Learn how applying safety science principles to critical incident and child fatality reviews can enhance system accountability.
Permanency and placement stability
Explore a variety of our resources related to the topics of permanency and placement stability.
What can we learn from how states define neglect?
Learn from a study that outlines how states differ in their definitions of child neglect and the impacts on children and families.
How can motivational interviewing be used in child protection?
Explore how motivational interviewing can be used in a child welfare context to engage families and improve outcomes.
How does involvement with law enforcement impact the reporting of child abuse and neglect?
Learn findings from a study that describes the relationship between police contact with families and the reporting of child maltreatment.
Did a review of death certificate data reveal an underreporting of fatalities due to child abuse?
Explore findings from a study that looked at medical examiner data to conclude that true rates of fatal child abuse may be underreported.
Can strengthening national data on child fatalities aid in prevention?
Explore findings from a report that outlines why a consistent and coordinated approach to child fatality data is necessary.
How is the Black Child Legacy Campaign saving lives and advancing equity in Sacramento?
Learn about Sacramento’s community-driven approach to reducing preventable deaths among Black children.
What are some effective strategies for older youth adoption?
Learn about some of the strategies that are effective in securing permanent adoptions among older youth.
Do prior maltreatment reports serve as a risk factor for child fatalities?
Learn from a study that examines the relationship between nonfatal maltreatment allegations and child fatalities in young children.
What is the impact of a Title IV-E waiver kinship supports intervention?
Learn the findings from a study that examined the impact of a Kinship Supports Intervention (KSI).
Do child care subsidies decrease rates of child maltreatment?
Learn the findings from a study that examines the effect of child care subsidies on child maltreatment.
Do sentinel injuries predict later physical abuse in infants?
Learn from a study that examines the relationship between previously reported sentinel injuries and later physical abuse in infants.
Do perceptions of risk impact how mothers interact with social service providers?
Learn findings from a study that examined how low-income mothers limit their engagement with needed support services for fear of CPS report.
Are Universal Mandatory Reporting policies effective in identifying child physical abuse?
Learn findings from a study that examined the efficacy of Universal Mandatory Reporting policies in identifying victims of physical abuse.