Does contact with child protective services vary by race/ethnicity and county?
Findings from a research study show race-based differences in the rates of involvement in child maltreatment investigations.
Hotline/investigation
Do state child welfare policies impact the rate of reported and substantiated child maltreatment?
Learn findings from a study that examined how state-level policies can impact the number of child maltreatment reports and substantiations.
How can trends in child maltreatment during COVID-19 inform new ways of supporting families?
Learn how maltreatment reports to the hotline changed during COVID-19, and how families can be better supported at a community level.
How are public health nurses assisting with child protection investigations?
When public health nurses accompany caseworkers on investigations, the results can be beneficial to child and family well-being.
Do reporting professionals overexpose marginalized families to more surveillance due to the dual nature of child welfare services?
Learn from a study that explores how making reports to CPS may lead to over-surveillance and trauma for families.
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.
How do mandatory reporting laws affect help-seeking among survivors of intimate partner violence?
Learn from a study that explores how mandatory reporting laws may discourage survivors of intimate partner violence from seeking support.
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.
Can decreasing unwarranted reports to child protection agencies improve outcomes for children and families?
Learn from a study that examines the relationship between previously reported sentinel injuries and later physical abuse in infants.
Are decisions to substantiate impacted by caseworkers’ perceptions of domestic violence or parental substance misuse?
Learn the findings from a study that assessed how caseworkers’ perceptions of domestic violence and parental substance use influenced the decision-making.
Are there parallels between hiring and child protection processes that can help reduce bias and narrow child welfare’s front door?
This brief examines the parallels that exist between strategies for hiring staff and decision-making processes in child protection.
How can behavioral science be used to improve the assessment of risk and safety?
Behavioral science offers insights into the hotline, screening, and investigation and assessment decision points in child welfare.
