ABSTRACT Poverty has long been indicated as a risk factor for child maltreatment. This review aims to synthesize the existing literature regarding the relationship between income-level poverty and child maltreatment in the United States. Of the 27 studies included, approximately 40% measured poverty using only income indicators, and 71% measured child maltreatment using administrative data. While the type of child maltreatment varied across studies, the associations generally revealed that higher income decreased the risk of child maltreatment, or families living in poverty had a higher risk of child maltreatment. The current study proposed several child welfare-related implications based on the findings.

ABSTRACT Little is known about the people who comprise the natural support networks of children in foster care and any barriers to their ability to provide social support. Based on interviews with the network members of 150 children entering foster care, four barriers (criminal history, child welfare history, domestic violence, and substance abuse) were submitted to a latent profile analysis. Two barrier profiles were identified: a lower-barrier profile (87%) and a higher-barrier profile (13%). These results suggest that barriers are common but not widespread across the networks of most children, with implications for what caseworkers can expect when working with families.

ABSTRACT The emergence of COVID-19 created a global health crisis and impacted children and families, disproportionately affecting minoritized communities. Simultaneously, protests and anti-racist uprisings against police violence occurred worldwide. This mixed method study examined how a group of racially diverse resource parents navigated these two pandemics. Resource parents (N = 527) in Los Angeles County were surveyed about concerns related to COVID-19, racial injustice, and the sociopolitical climate. Quantitative findings revealed that increased difficulty coping with COVID-19 was associated with the increased reported impact of events surrounding racial injustice. Qualitatively, resource parents expressed a concern for children and stress, anxiety, and fear.

ABSTRACT JBI protocol for umbrella reviews was applied in the narrative synthesis of data from four systematic reviews and one meta-analysis through an intersectionality lens to isolate empirical evidence specifically related to foster parents and placement stability. Twelve of sixteen foster parent factors identified as associated with placement stability are related to social-emotional competencies (SEC). Recommendations include further exploration of the connection between SEC of foster parents and placement stability, more research regarding foster parent emotional health, and increased focus on intersectionality of variables related to placement types and outcome.

ABSTRACT Introduction The child welfare system’s method of service delivery shifted abruptly during the pandemic to a telehealth modality. The perceived impact of this change upon service delivery is largely unknown, however. The purpose of this study was to describe how a large child welfare agency shifted to telehealth delivery, including investigating barriers and innovative strategies that were undertaken to resolve obstacles and enhance engagement and the provision of services. Method In September, 2020, direct service providers, supervisors and clinic directors at a large, Southeastern child welfare agency completed a survey that tapped into the perceived impact of telehealth on service delivery, and barriers and benefits of telehealth delivery. Twenty-six (n = 26) individuals completed the survey. Results Over half of participants reported an improvement in service delivery through the use of telehealth, and most saw it as being beneficial to both families and staff. Few participants believed that services were negatively impeded by telehealth.The main barrier to telehealth delivery was technology access and navigation (both on the part of families and staff). Discussion Telehealth was largely perceived as a facilitator to child welfare service delivery; implications and use of remote platforms are discussed.

ABSTRACT Caregivers can provide insight into the welfare aspects of institutional child maltreatment not apparent to children in care. This qualitative study investigated how socio-ecological and contextual aspects of the welfare system were linked to (quality of) care provision and the well-being of minors in care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Swiss former caregivers. Welfare aspects included a shortage of resources, poor working conditions, and lack of oversight by the authorities. Social norms also contributed to stigmatization, discrimination, and the normalization of adverse care practices. Potential protective factors included external support and resource provision, caregiver resistance, and (later) social acknowledgment.

ABSTRACT Understanding child maltreatment on a national level is complicated by lack of consistency in definitions of abuse and reporting by state. Adolescents experience child maltreatment, but responses to their maltreatment likely differ from younger children due to differences in development and vulnerability. The present study examined state variations of adolescent child protective systems reports using data from the 2015–2019 NCANDS. We calculated the rates of maltreatment reports, substantiations, and maltreatment subtypes per 1,000 adolescents in the population. Findings revealed wide variations across all three measured rates. Examining state variations involved with CPS is critical to informing policy and practice solutions.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to identify latent classes of child welfare placement histories, with a focus on entry to residential treatment settings (RTS), and how youth behavior and development are associated with the probability of latent class membership. This study utilized secondary child welfare administrative data. The study found that a four-class model was the best fit for the data. The four latent classes were defined by instability while in family settings, stability in kinship care, movement through congregate care settings, and stability in non-kinship foster care. Youth behavior and developmental period were significantly associated with latent class membership.

ABSTRACT The critique that child welfare services (CWS) are primarily focused on neglect cases resulting from poverty is longstanding and reemerging from discussions about how to address America’s racial history and structural oppression which begets poverty. Understanding how poverty and CWS involvement operate requires testing relationships between poverty and other factors influencing placement. Drawing on NSCAW II, we identify families (n = 445) investigated for neglect, with children younger than 15, and remaining home upon investigation at the study’s baseline. This study uniquely allows for distinguishing the contribution of poverty and family adversities on foster care placements among neglecting families. Families were followed for 36 months, to observe placements into out-of-home care. Poverty levels were not strongly related to subsequent placement. Children in families with high levels of adversity – especially arrests and domestic violence – were most likely to be placed into foster care. Employment at initial contact was associated with less later foster care placement even when income levels were generally low. The findings add to the evidence that placement into foster care may most significantly result from an accumulation of adversities. Intervention that might help reduce foster care placements for neglected children who begin receiving services at home are considered.