Post-investigation service need and utilization among families at risk of maltreatment

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between different areas of family need and the utilization of home-based, post-investigation services (HBPS) following a child protective services (CPS) investigation. The sample consisted of 2598 families with children who remained at home after an initial CPS investigation between July 2006 and April 2011. Family need was measured in three areas (concrete, clinical, and educational) using the Family Assessment Form (FAF), and families received one or more of the following HBPS: case management, concrete, educational, and clinical services. Pearson chi-square analyses were utilized to identify significant areas of needs to be included in a final multivariate logistic regression for each HBPS while controlling for demographic characteristics.Numerous areas of family need were associated with receipt of services intended to address those needs. Specifically, concrete need related to financial conditions was met with concrete services, educational need related to child development (an indicator of parenting need) was met with educational services, and clinical need related to interactions between caregivers (a potential indicator of domestic violence) was met with clinical services. In contrast, caregivers with concrete need related to living conditions were less likely to receive both educational and clinical services. Findings from the study highlight that matching concrete needs to related services is relatively straightforward but that the match between educational and clinical needs to respective services is more complex. We discuss the complexities of matching different areas of need and HBPS following a CPS investigation and the importance of "bridging services" to engage families at risk of maltreatment in additional prevention services.