Drug exposed infants in the social welfare system and Juvenile Court

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study how drug exposed infants were processed, following a positive toxicology screen, through the Social Services and Juvenile Court system and to construct a demographic profile of these cases. Using data ( N = 284) from Social Services and Juvenile Court files in one large county this paper describes the socioeconomic profile of cases in the Social Services and Court system over an 18-month period and tracks the progress of these cases through their reviews and hearings. The data show an overrepresentation of African American and Hispanic cases compared to the relevant county population and an underrepresentation of Caucasian and Asian cases. A petition to Juvenile Court was filed in almost half of the initial cases. Among the children who were made dependents of the court, about 80% were removed from the mother and placed in reunification services. Of these one third were later returned to the family while the rest went to permanency placements outside the home.