Child Maltreatment Recurrence Research Articles

Stress, child-caregiver disability, and family dysfunction characteristics contributing to child abuse and maltreatment recurrence: a structural equation model

ABSTRACT Child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment (CANM) represents a significant public health threat. The study’s goal was to identify factors contributing to CANM and its high recurrence. We utilized 2019–2020 National Child Abuse data to test a structural equation model of Child/Caregiver Disability variables; Home Instability variables; and CANM recurrence. We hypothesized a six-factor model with Home Instability as a mediator. Of 1,221,176 victims, 29.9% had a prior victimization. A four-factor, mediational structural equation model showed strong fit (GFI = 0.946, NFI = 0.919) and was superior to alternative models. The study provides a framework for community leaders to reduce CANM.

Reducing Foster Care Entry Rates for Children in Sacramento County: A Spotlight on Practice

Beginning in 2006, Sacramento County implemented multiple child welfare practices and policies to reduce high rates of foster care entries (e.g., early intervention family drug courts, differential response, team decision-making, a family-centered approach to safety and risk assessment). Those strategies were identified through interviews with County child welfare leaders; and then the strategies were placed chronically in a table to inform a longitudinal data analysis. Between 2000 and 2020, entry rates in Sacramento County declined at a faster rate than entry rates in California (when all state counties but Sacramento were combined), and by 2020 were statistically significantly lower than entry rates in California. Between 2000 and 2020, recurrence of maltreatment rates for children in Sacramento County were higher than California; however, those declined more rapidly than recurrence rates in California and were similar by 2020. Both foster care entry and child maltreatment recurrence rates for children in Sacramento County declined between 2000 and 2020, indicating that foster care entry rates were safely reduced but additional data about child safety and well-being are needed. In addition, although Black children less than one year old continue to enter care at higher rates within Sacramento County, their entry rates declined more rapidly than other ethnic and age groups. This suggests that Sacramento’s focus on the youngest children, with multiple services specially designed for Black children and families, may be contributing to these positive trends. Future studies should examine the individual impact of the multiple interventions and programs implemented in Sacramento County on the rates of entry into foster care. Further investigations could also help unpack the racial/ethnic group and age differences seen in Sacramento County foster care entry rates and inform the timing of future practice improvements.

Predictive Risk Modeling for Recurrence of Child Maltreatment Using Cases from the National Child Maltreatment Data System in Korea: Exploratory Data Analysis Using Data Mining Algorithm.

The purpose of this study was to explore and identify patterns of risk predictors of maltreatment recurrence using predictive risk modeling (PRM). This study used the administrative dataset from the National Child Maltreatment Information System recorded by Korean CPS (Child Protective Service) workers. The information, including recurrent maltreatment, was collected in 2012; then, those reported cases werefollowed for 2years through 2014. The data included information about child, family, caregiver, maltreatment, and service characteristics and consisted of male (50.22%) and female (49.78%) children with an average age of 9years (n = 4319). We examined the association of risk factors with recurrence using conditional inference trees (CTREE): a tree-based data mining algorithm for classification that allows the exploration of the interconnection between hypothesized risk factors. Study findings showed that a history of prior CPS involvement was the first decision point in the decision tree structure of recurrence. The effect of other risk factors depended on the presence of prior CPS involvement. In the absence of prior CPS involvement, cases with (a) a single-parent status and (b) a caregiver's alcohol abuse living in other types of households (two-parent households, kinship care, andchildren without parents) were associated with recurrence. In the presence of prior CPS involvement, cases with out-of-home care or others (long- or short-term foster care and emergency placement) in the final decision of child placement (a) where in-home care in the initial decision of child placement within the presence of physical abuse and (b) where social isolation without physical abuse was related to recurrence. Cases with (a) a male caregiver and (b) a female caregiver with social isolation and without social isolation yet employed were at high risk for recurrence under the circumstance of in-home care in the final decision of child placement. This exploratory study found multiple connections among the factors in the prediction of recurrence. The CTREE helps unravel the complexity embedded in maltreatment recurrence by capturing its patterns. This information can deepen our knowledge of associations between risk factors in the prediction of recurrence and be used as a reference to inform child maltreatment policy and prevention.

An evaluation of the comprehensive child protection support services in South Korea: Focusing on preventing maltreatment recurrence and improving safety

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the comprehensive child protection support services (CCPSS) in South Korea. Data were collected through a survey of children and parents receiving child protection services in four treatment and six comparison child protection agencies, over an 18-month period. We used the difference-in-difference method to examine the effectiveness of CCPSS while controlling for both observed and unobserved characteristics of the treatment and comparison groups. We focused on two primary outcomes of the program: (1) maltreatment recurrence rate and (2) probability of being at high risk of child maltreatment. The results showed a decrease of 4.4 percent points in the child maltreatment recurrence rate of the treatment group, compared to the comparison group at the end of CCPSS implementation. We also found positive effects of the program on reducing the risk of further maltreatment among maltreated children. Policy implications and limitations of the study are also discussed.

The efficacy of a voluntary, community-based program in preventing recurrence of child maltreatment: Community Support for Families

ABSTRACT Community-based, voluntary child maltreatment prevention programs are a critical, yet under-studied, element of child maltreatment prevention and are particularly vital to the success of differential response (DR) programs. This study describes the 25% of families who are referred from Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families DR to a voluntary post-DR community program (Community Support for Families (CSF)), assesses the safety outcomes of subsequent reports and substantiated subsequent reports within 18 months of their initial report, and analyzes the family and case characteristics associated with the outcomes. CSF engages families, works with them to strengthen natural and community-based supports, and connect families to needed services. A higher percentage of Black and Latino families were referred to the CSF than white families, likely driven by higher poverty rates. Forty percent of families had a subsequent report and 11% had a substantiated subsequent report. Program participation was associated with lower odds of a substantiated subsequent report compared to families who were referred but did not participate. Program participation was not associated with preventing a subsequent report. This study adds to the scant literature on community maltreatment prevention programs.

Recurrence of Substantiated Maltreatment Reports between Low-Income Parents With Disabilities and Their Propensity-Score Matched Sample Without Disabilities.

Using the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect dataset, 127 low-income parents with disabilities and a propensity score matched sample of 254 parents without disabilities were compared for the rates of repeated substantiated child maltreatment allegations and potentially distinct risks for substantiated child maltreatment recurrence. The number of substantiated child maltreatment allegations was not significantly higher for low-income parents with disabilities (M = 1.17, SD = 1.83) than their matched sample (M = .93, SD = 1.44) (t = -1.29, p = .197). Findings from the negative binomial regression indicated that parental disability was also not a significant predictor for repeated substantiated child maltreatment allegations among low-income parents after controlling other risk factors (Exp(B) = 1.16, p < .353). In both groups, black parents were more likely to have repeated substantiated maltreatments than white parents. For parents with disabilities, being an older parent, receiving SNAP benefits, having a daughter, and having a child in continued out-of-home care significantly increased the risk for repeated substantiations while having a GED or higher education degree and living with a larger number of family decreased the risk. For parents without disabilities, family instability was the only additional risk factor for repeated maltreatment substantiations.

The effectiveness of home visiting programs for the prevention of child maltreatment recurrence at home: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PurposeThis systematic review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of home visiting programs targeting parents who have maltreated their children on the prevention of child maltreatment recurrence.MethodsMajor databases were searched (Ovid-Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and RISS). The frequency of maltreatment was measured for the meta-analysis, which was conducted using Review Manager 5.2 software. The effect size was measured using odds ratios (ORs).ResultsSix studies were included in the analysis, none of which were conducted in South Korea. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the risk of child maltreatment recurrence significantly decreased after a home visiting program was implemented (OR=0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.29-0.68). Nurses were the most common intervention providers.ConclusionHome visiting programs should be provided for families in which maltreatment has already occurred to prevent the recurrence of maltreatment and foster a home environment in which children can live safely. Since the rate of child maltreatment in Korea is increasing, further research is needed to develop and implement home visiting programs in which nurses play a major role in preventing the recurrence of child maltreatment.

A latent class analysis of modifiable risk factors associated with child maltreatment re-reporting and recurrence

BackgroundMaltreatment re-reporting and recurrence represent missed opportunities for prevention and early intervention in child welfare settings. ObjectivesThis study identified latent classes of risk among families who experienced a child maltreatment re-report or maltreatment recurrence within 12-months of initial case closure. Participants and settingAdministrative child welfare data from a large urban county were subject to secondary analysis. Samples included children who experienced a maltreatment re-report (n = 4390), and children who experienced a second maltreatment substantiation (n = 694). MethodsFive modifiable risk factors (i.e., mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, disability, parenting challenges) were extracted from the initial investigation and subject to latent class analysis. Case characteristics (i.e., age, gender, race, ethnicity, maltreatment type) were then compared across the latent classes in a post-hoc analysis. ResultsRe-report classes were characterized by (1) “Few Identified Challenges” (56%, n = 2458), (2) “Mental Health and Domestic Violence Challenges” (26%, n = 1133), and (3) “Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, Mental Health, and Parenting Challenges” (18%, n = 790). Re-report classes differed according to child age, race, ethnicity, neglect and physical abuse allegations. Recurrence classes were characterized by (1) “Domestic Violence Challenges” (48%, n = 333), (2) “Mental Health Challenges” (15%, n = 104), and (3) “Domestic Violence, Mental Health, and Parenting Challenges” (37%, n = 257). Recurrence classes differed according to child race and age. ConclusionsFindings underscore the complex and co-occurring nature of maltreatment risk, and provide insights to strengthen assessment and intervention practices to reduce repeated contacts with child welfare systems.

Psychological and physical abuse towards four-year-old children as reported by their parents: A national Finnish survey

BackgroundIn Finnish society, child maltreatment is a health and social problem with harmful consequences. Identifying families at risk may help preventing child maltreatment recurrence. ObjectiveThe aim of this nationwide retrospective cross-sectional study was to describe the child- and family-related risk factors associated with physical and psychological abuse experienced by 4-year-old children. MethodsThis study analyzed nationwide survey data collected by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Overall, 17,009 parents (46%) visiting at a child health clinic filled out the survey consent form. For 8720 children, one or both parents completed the questionnaire (24%). Analyses were carried out using χ2 tests and binary logistic regression. ResultsOf the 4-year-olds, 44% had experienced at least one form of psychological abuse and 14% physical abuse. These forms of violence co-occurred in 25% of the reported cases (p < 001). Intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment co-occurred in 19.6% of psychological abuse (p < .001) and 22.5% of physical abuse cases (p < .001). Parents exposed to IPV was the risk factor most likely to predict an increased risk for both psychological abuse (OR 4.01, CI 3.41–4.72; p < .001), and physical abuse (OR 2.19, CI 1.81–2.64; p < .001). Approving of hair-pulling or pinching the child (i.e., using corporal punishment) was most likely to predict an increased risk of physical abuse (OR 13.70, CI 11.69–16.06; p < .001). ConclusionsThe findings emphasize the importance of preventing all forms of child maltreatment by identifying families at risk and supporting parenthood according to families' needs.

An Adaptive Machine Learning System for predicting recurrence of child maltreatment: A routine activity theory perspective

Child maltreatment, including abuse and neglect of children, is one of the most appalling activities routinely occurring in the United States. Every year millions of child maltreatment incidents are reported to Child Protection Services (CPS) agencies. Experts in child protection face enormous workloads of analyzing reported incidents to assess the victims’ risk of experiencing a reoccurrence of maltreatment in the future. However, the existing systems deployed to help the experts are limited in two aspects: first, most have a limited capability in integrating a large amount of data originating from various entities dealing with child maltreatment; second, they are not adaptable enough to accommodate various degrees of un-structuredness inherent in the knowledge-intensive nature of CPS’s tasks, thus relying on CPS and various other experts for system configuration beyond typical users’ skillsets. In response, we propose an adaptive machine learning system (AMLS) inspired by the Routine Activity Theory focused on predicting recurrent child maltreatment. Our system offers a robust prediction for the recurrence of child maltreatment using a multi-faceted adaptive capability. We perform and report the results of extensive computational analysis to demonstrate the superiority of our system’s performance over various existing systems currently deployed.

An Empirical Study on the Recurrence of Child Maltreatment after Family Reunification

An Empirical Study on the Recurrence of Child Maltreatment after Family Reunification

Development of a Comprehensive Child Protection Support Service model and its effects on child maltreatment recurrence prevention

Development of a Comprehensive Child Protection Support Service model and its effects on child maltreatment recurrence prevention

Service utilization and association with recurrences of child maltreatment post-reunification

ABSTRACT About 30% of children referred to child protective services each year in the US experience recurring maltreatment. Maltreatment has been linked to a myriad of negative developmental outcomes for children, such as externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Yet, few studies have examined services to prevent recurrences of maltreatment among reunified children. Utilizing data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being II (NSCAW II), the objective of this study was to investigate types of services that decreased recurrences of child maltreatment post-reunification. The sample included n = 1,168 children who were in out-of-home care at Wave One (2008) and had reunified at Wave Two (2009–2010). These children were followed for 18 months (2011–2012) to compare to those who experienced a substantiated recurrence of child maltreatment after reunification to those who did not. Survival analysis was conducted with time to recurrence as the outcome variable. Results suggest that about one in five children experienced recurrences of maltreatment during the first 18 months of reunification. Rates of parental service utilization were high (63%). Adjusting for covariates, only out-of-home prevention services (HR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.24–0.75, p <.01) was negatively associated with recurrences of maltreatment. Implications for research, practice, as well as limitations, are discussed.

아동학대 재발생 특성과 관련요인 연구－일회재학대와 반복재학대를 중심으로－

본 연구의 주요 목적은 우리나라 아동보호체계의 재학대 사례의 특성과 관련요인을 규명하고자 하는 것이다. 보다 구체적으로 학대유형을 일회학대, 일회재학대, 반복재학대로 분류한 후 3개 집단이 어느 정도 발생하는지, 3개 집단 간에 사례특성 및 재학대 발생시점에서 차이가 있는지, 일회재학대와 반복재학대의 예측요인은 무엇인지를 살펴보았다. 연구대상은 2014년에 접수 및 판단된 아동학대사례의 피해아동 5,292명으로 2016년까지 일회학대는 92.3%, 일회재학대는 7.0%, 2회 이상의 재학대인 반복재학대는 0.7%의 아동이 경험한 것으로 나타났다. 일회학대, 일회재학대, 반복재학대 3개 집단을 비교한 결과, 학대유형에서는 차이가 없었고, 반복재학대의 경우 일회재학대에 비해 초기학대와 최초 재학대 사이의 시간간격이 더 짧았다. 다항로지스틱회귀분석을 통해 분석한 결과, 일회재학대와 반복재학대의 발생에 영향을 미치는 요인으로 사례특성, 아동특성, 행위자 및 가족특성을 발견하였다. 일회재학대의 예측변인은 중복학대인 경우, 아동의 연령, 정서문제, 행위자가 부모인 경우, 배우자 폭력, 알콜 남용, 기초생활수급, 그리고 한부모 가정이었던 반면에, 반복재학대의 예측변인은 중복학대, 배우자폭력 및 경제적 어려움이었다. 연구결과를 토대로 우리나라 아동보호체계 내 재학대 발생을 예방하기 위한 방안을 논의하였다.

The effect of child protection services on child maltreatment recurrence

연구목적: 아동보호서비스가 아동학대 재발생을 효과적으로 감소시켰는가는 상당히 중요한 이슈임에도 불구하고 이에 대해서는 알려진 바가 많지 않다. 이 연구에서는 우리나라아동보호전문기관에서 제공하고 있는 서비스 특성과 아동학대 재발생 간의 관계를 설명하고자 하였다. 방법: 아동학대 재발생의 시간적 발생 특성을 파악하기 위해 2012년부터 2017년까지 아동보호전문기관에 신고되어 처음 아동학대로 판정된 28,505 사례를 대상으로 아동학대재발생 현황을 살펴보기 위해 생명표 분석을 실시하였다. 아동보호서비스 특성과 아동학대 재발생 간의 관계는 다층 비연속 시간 사건사 분석을 통하여 살펴보았다. 결과: 전체 사례 가운데 10.4%(2,963 사례)에서 학대가 재발생하였으며, 학대 재발생 승산은 신고 이후 첫 1개월 이내에 가장 높았다. 학대 재발생 사례의 절반 이상이 11개월이내에 발생하였다. 아동학대 재발생 승산은 기관별로 차이가 있었으며, 아동보호전문기관이 담당하는 지역의 수와 아동 인구수가 많을수록 학대 재발생 승산이 감소하였다. 학대 피해 아동과 비학대 부모 대상 서비스 제공 기간이 길수록, 비학대 부모에게 사후관리서비스가 제공된 경우, 사례 개입이 진행 중일 때 학대 재발생 승산은 감소하였다. 그러나 학대 피해 아동 대상 심리서비스와 행위자 대상 상담 서비스는 학대 재발생 승산을증가시키는 것으로 나타났다. 결론: 아동보호서비스가 아동학대 재발생에 미치는 영향은 서비스 제공 대상자, 제공 기간, 서비스 유형에 따라 다소 다르게 나타났다. 이 연구는 우리나라 아동보호전문기관에서 제공한 서비스 특성이 아동학대 재발생에 미치는 영향을 체계적으로 설명했다는 측면에서 의의가 있다. 이러한 연구 결과를 근거로 하여 아동보호서비스의 개선방안에 대하여 논의하였다.Objectives: Little is known about child protection services, although it is a very importantissue for whether they effectively reduce the recurrence of child maltreatment. Therefore,this study was intended to explain the relationship between service characteristics and therecurrence of child maltreatment provided by child protection agencies in South Korea. Methods: From 2012 to 2017, a life table analysis was conducted to examine the statusof the recurrence of child maltreatment in 28,505 cases under child protection agencies. Therelationship between the characteristics of child protection services and the recurrence ofchild maltreatment was examined through multi-level discrete-time event history analysis. Results: Child reabuse occurred in 10.4% (2,963 cases) of the total cases, and the risk ofrecurrence of child maltreatment was the highest within the first month of reporting. Morethan half of the cases of recurrence of child maltreatment were conceived within 11 months. The higher the number of areas in charge of child protection and the higher the numberof children, the lower the odds of recurrence of child maltreatment. The longer the serviceperiod for non-abuse parents, the lower the odds of recurrence of child maltreatment. In addition,the odds of recurrence of child maltreatment decreased if post-care services wereprovided to non-abuse parents. The odds of recurrence of child maltreatment was also lowin cases where case intervention was underway. However, psychological services for abusedchildren and counseling services for perpetrators increase the odds of recurrence of childmaltreatment. Conclusions: The impact of child protection services on reoccurrence of child maltreatmenthas been somewhat different depending on the subject and duration of service and type ofservice. The study is meaningful in that it systematically explains the impact of servicesprovided by child protection agencies in South Korea on the recurrence of childmaltreatment. Based on the results of this study, the improvement of child protection serviceswas discussed.

Latent class analysis risk profiles: An effective method to predict a first re-report of maltreatment?

Recurrence of child maltreatment is a significant concern causing substantial individual, family and societal cost. Variable-based approaches to identifying targets for intervention may not reflect the reality that families may experience multiple co-occurring risks. An alternative approach was tested using baseline data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW) I and II to develop Latent Class Analysis models of family risk classes using variables derived from prior studies of re-reporting. The samples were collected approximately 10 years apart offering a chance to test how the approach might be impacted by demographic or policy shifts. The association between baseline classes and later re-reports was tested using both samples. A two-class model of high versus low presence of baseline risk resulted that was strongly associated with later likelihood of re-report and results were relatively stable across the two studies. Person-centered approaches may hold promise in the early identification of families that require a more comprehensive array of supports to prevent re-reports of maltreatment.

Child, Family, and Case Characteristics Associated With Reentry Into Out-of-Home Care Among Children and Youth Involved With Child Protection Services.

Many children and youth with child protection services (CPS) involvement enter out-of-home care. The aims of this study were to examine rates of reentry and risk factors associated with reentry into out-of-home care among children and youth involved in the child protection (reported for abuse/neglect) and youth-in-conflict (reported for behavioral issues) programs. This study used administrative data from Colorado's Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System, which contains information on all children and youth who enter Colorado's CPS. Of the 14,461 children and youth in the child protection program and 2,353 children and youth in the youth-in-conflict program, 14.7% and 35.1%, respectively, reentered into out-of-home care. Families' prior history of CPS involvement and current CPS case characteristics better explained reentry into out-of-home care than child and family demographic characteristics alone. Understanding risk factors associated with reentry into out-of-home care is critical to inform the prevention of child maltreatment recurrence and ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and youth.

Recurrence of Maltreatment After Newborn Home Visiting: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

To investigate whether a newborn home visiting program for primiparous adolescent mothers (aged 16-20 years at childbirth) reduced recurrence of child maltreatment in child protective services (CPS) reports. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of Healthy Families Massachusetts, a statewide home visiting program for young parents. A total of 704 first-time young mothers were randomly assigned to a home visiting group, or to a control group who we referred to other services and who received child development and parenting information. The outcome variable was CPS reports (2008-2016) available for 688 families-specifically, rereports following an initial report (up to mean child age of 7 years). Of the 52% of families who experienced initial CPS reports, 53% experienced additional CPS reports. Children of mothers in the home visiting group were less likely to receive a second report and had a longer period of time between initial and second reports. The home visiting program reduced the recurrence of CPS maltreatment report by 32% and increased the length of time between initial and additional CPS reports. Home visiting parenting support and prevention programs may reduce the likelihood of recurrent maltreatment following completion of program services.

Effect of worker contacts on risk of child maltreatment recurrence among CPS-involved children and families

The mission and responsibility of child protective services (CPS) is to investigate maltreatment; intervene to protect children from harm; and promote safety, permanency, and well-being (DePanfilis & Salus, 2003; Goldman, Salus, Wolcott, & Kennedy, 2003). In 2015, approximately 7.2 million children in the United States were referred to CPS agencies, and 3.4 million children had an investigation or received an alternative response (US Department of Health & Human Services, 2017). Fluke, Shusterman, Hollinshead, and Yuan (2005) found that about one third of children with an allegation of maltreatment would have at least one re-report within a five-year period. Research indicates that the rates of child maltreatment or changes in indicators of child maltreatment have remained unchanged over time (Gilbert et al., 2012). Despite policies aimed at reducing or preventing maltreatment, the development of CPS systems across the United States, and a CPS workforce, the aggregate effects of the CPS system, services, and worker efforts are not well understood.

Differential response in child protection: How much is too much?

Recurring maltreatment can have devastating, lifelong consequences for children who are victims of abuse and neglect. The primary mission of child protection services (CPS) agencies is to prevent the recurrence of child maltreatment by offering families services designed to prevent future maltreatment. In order for these services to be effective, however, families must actually engage in them. This study focuses on how differential response programs impact families' successful engagement in services as indicated by long-term child safety outcomes.Differential response refers to a dual track system that allows public CPS agencies to respond to accepted reports of child abuse or neglect with either a traditional investigative response (TR) or an alternative response (AR). The AR is designed to be a less authoritative and less adversarial approach to families presenting a low- to moderate-risk of maltreatment. The AR involves collaboration with the family in a comprehensive assessment of the family's needs, risks and strengths and a referral to services on a voluntary basis. States implementing DR systems statewide vary greatly in the percentage of accepted reports that are assigned to the AR track. The goal of this study is to determine what rate of AR utilization is most effective in reducing subsequent reports of abuse and neglect for cases assigned to the AR.This study compares child safety outcomes for children assigned to the AR and those assigned to the TR within each of the fourteen states which implemented DR statewide between 2000–2012. The analysis uses Cox proportional hazards regression. Data for this observational study are drawn from the 2000–2012 data in the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) child files. Child safety is measured by re-reporting of the child to CPS.The theoretical model underpinning the study is McCurdy and Daro's (2001) Integrated Theory of Participant Involvement (ITPI) which outlines a conceptual model of parental engagement in services. This study hypothesizes that AR utilization rates affect the risk level of cases assigned to the AR. The ITPI model offers a possible explanation as to why higher risk cases may not be as responsive to the AR approach which depends upon the family's voluntary participation in services.The key finding of this study is that, in states assigning >33% of reports to the AR, children on the AR track are being re-reported at equal or higher rates than those on the TR track. Only in those states utilizing the AR track for <33% of the cases are AR cases being consistently re-reported at lower rates than those on the TR track. This article explores ways to improve the accuracy of track assignment decisions to prevent the assignment of higher risk families to the alternative response.