Introducing a new data resource for comparative child welfare research: The ROCKWOOL-Duke global child welfare database

Abstract

The Rockwool–Duke Global Child Welfare Database (RDGCWD) is a cross-national aggregate longitudinal data resource created to facilitate comparative research on children’s involvement with child welfare systems (CWS) and child protective services (CPS) across national contexts. The basis for the RDGCWD is harmonized data collected from national and transnational child welfare and statistical agencies on three types of contact: maltreatment investigation, substantiated maltreatment, and out-of-home placement. The database covers 44 countries for the period 2000–2020 with 33 country–year observations of children investigated by CWS/CPS, 104 country–year observations of investigations by CWS/CPS, 194 country–year observations of CWS/CPS confirmations of maltreatment, 66 country-year observations of children maltreated, 233 country–year observations of children entering out-of-home care, 402 country–year observations of children residing in out-of-home care at a specific point in time, and 55 country-year observations of entrances into care. Interested researchers can access the data at the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN).