Decision Making in Child Protection. The Overlap of Welfare, CPS and Foster Care Welfare Families...

Decision Making in Child Protection

The Overlap of Welfare, CPS and Foster Care

WelfareFamilies

Families served

by CPS

Foster Care

Child welfare and welfare

Frame (1998) 25% of children in new welfare cases in California had history of involvement with child welfare system.

Shook (1999)40% of children in foster care were on welfare the month before placement.Another 20% on welfare in previous months.

Palmer, Rogers, Digre, & Williams (1997)70% of child welfare families receiving welfare.

Children new to foster care from welfare families:

California 90%

Illinois 85%

North Carolina 90%

Source: Needell, Cucaro-Alamin, Brookhard, and Lee (1999)

Foster Care in Los Angeles

97% of foster care children in Los Angeles come from homes below the poverty line

Source: Los Angeles Times (1999)

Neglect, Abuse andChild Protection

Child Abuse and the Law

Effectiveness of the Child Protection System

Key: The decision to remove

a child

The Placement Decision:

reliabilityfactors which influence: discriminant analysis odds ratio models

What happens to 100 children?

.

Income and Placement

.

Income and Neglect (NIS-2)

Incidence of Child Abuse by Income

Incidence of Child Abuse Fatalities by Income

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

<$15,000 $15,000 - $30,000 $30,000 - $45,000 $45,000+

Source: National Incidence Study-3, 1996.

Family Income and Incidence of Death and Serious Injury from Child Abuse

State comparisons of types of neglect and abuse, 2000

Based on data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS, 2002) and Child and Family Services Review (CFSR, 2003).

Percent of Substantiated Reports that were Emotional Abuse

Source: Child Welfare Outcome (2003).

Percent of Substantiated Reports that were Neglect

Source: Child Welfare Outcome (2003); NCANDS (2003). National Average = 69 %

Percent of Substantiated Reports that were Physical Abuse.

National Average = 19 %

Percent of Substantiated Reports that were Sexual Abuse.

National Average = 10 %

Australia

Why such variation?

On such a sensitive matter is this type of variation acceptable?

Is the identification of child abuse more art than science?

.

What is the incidence of various types of abuse?

Does it vary much by state?

Let’s look at the rate of various types of substantiated abuse per 10,000 children in the state.

.

Rate of substantiated Emotional Abuse per 10,000 children.

Source: Child Welfare Outcome (2003).

Rate of substantiated Neglect per 10,000 children.

Source: Child Welfare Outcome (2003).

Rate of substantiated Physical Abuseper 10,000 children.

Rate of substantiated Sexual Abuse per 10,000 children.

Precision of the Diagnostic AssessmentOr is it a judicial judgment?

Or simply a social worker’s assessment?

Perhaps the question is: What are the consequences of an error in assessment?

No one’s life is at risk except the children we wish to protect. The primary goal has to be the protection of children. But is there a limit?

We began with the question:

the decision to remove

A substantiated finding of “neglect” or “physical abuse” or “sexual abuse” can lead to removal of the child from the home.

In fact, the main task of the investigation is to determine whether to remove the child.

Terminating Parental Rights (TPR) in 2000

Source: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS), April, 2003.