Child Welfare System Involvement Research Articles

Structural vulnerabilities and over-criminalization of LGBTQ + youth in the California justice system

PurposeLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ + ) youth are overly represented in the juvenile justice system, which stems from their structural vulnerability. LGBTQ + youths’ structural vulnerability, the societal criminalization of LGBTQ + individuals’ sexual and gender expression, and over-policing place these youth at greater risk of being charged with prostitution and related offenses. In turn, this study examines the relationship between youths’ gender identity, sexual orientation, structural vulnerability, and over-criminalization with the likelihood of being charged with prostitution or related charges, controlling for race/ethnicity and age. In doing so, the study offers insight to the mechanisms producing LGBTQ + youths’ structural vulnerability. MethodsThis study draws on the Criminalization of LGBQ/GNCT Youth data, which contains data on youth incarcerated in 46 of the 48 juvenile detention facilities in California in 2014 (N = 4,033). The data include information regarding youths’ sexuality, gender identity, race/ethnicity, child welfare system involvement, homelessness, and charges leading to detention. ResultsLGTBQ + youth had significantly higher odds of being incarcerated for prostitution and related charges than cisgender and straight youth. Experiencing family rejection and being detained more than once was significantly related to the odds of being incarcerated for prostitution and related charges. ConclusionLGBTQ + youth have significantly higher odds of being incarcerated for prostitution related offenses, which illuminates the nature of their structural vulnerability that place these youth at risk for justice involvement. Findings demonstrate a need for affirming LGBTQ + -specific services and improving the sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) data gathered in juvenile justice facilities.

Estimating the incidence of substance exposed newborns with child welfare system involvement

BackgroundPrenatal substance use can have negative health consequences for both mother and child and may also increase the likelihood of child welfare involvement. The rate of newborns with substance exposure has increased dramatically. As of 2016, federal law requires notification of all infants to child welfare agencies so that a plan of safe care can be developed and referrals to services can be offered. ObjectiveChild welfare agencies have not historically collected consistent, systematic data identifying substance exposed newborns. We utilized a unique strategy to identify substance exposed newborns with child welfare involvement. Participants & settingWe used data from the National Child Abuse & Detection System (NCANDS) which captures N = 3,189,034 unique child protective services investigations for children under the age of 1 between 2004 and 2017. MethodsWe calculated the incidence of substance exposed newborns investigated by child welfare agencies and compared with other administrative data on prenatal substance exposure. We also analyzed this rate by infant demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity, sex, rurality). ResultsBetween 2004 and 2017, approximately 13 % of infants reported to child protective services were likely reported because of substance exposure at birth, and the rate of substance exposed newborns with child welfare involvement increased from 3.79 to 12.90 per 1000 births, an increase of 240 %, over this period. ConclusionsUnderstanding the extent of the substance use crisis for child welfare involvement is important for policymakers to support children and families.

Effects of child trauma screening on trauma-informed multidisciplinary evaluation and service planning in the child welfare system.

Despite the prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) among children involved with the child welfare system (CWS), trauma screening is not yet a common practice. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of embedding a formal trauma screening process in statewide multidisciplinary evaluations for CWS-involved youth. A retrospective record review was conducted with two random samples of cases reflecting both pre- and postimplementation of formal screening procedures (n = 70 preimplementation, n = 100 postimplementation). Findings from the record review indicate statistically significant improvements in the documentation of general, χ2(1, N = 170) = 18.8, p < .001, and specific, χ2(1, N = 170) = 10.7, p = .001, details of children's reactions associated with PTE exposure, as well as increases in providers' recommendations, χ2(1, N = 170) = 18.1, p < .001, and referrals, χ2(1, N = 170) = 4.5, p = .034, for trauma-focused services. The early identification of trauma-related symptoms may help connect children more promptly to trauma-informed evidence-based interventions, which may avert or mitigate the long-term sequelae of child maltreatment and CWS involvement.

Adolescent child custody loss and substance use treatment as predictors of young adult substance use trajectories among females with foster care and juvenile justice involvement

This study aimed to identify trajectories of substance use from adolescence to young adulthood among 166 females with dual child welfare and juvenile justice system involvement, and to explore the influence of adolescent child custody status and substance use treatment on substance use trajectories. Results identified four substance use trajectory groups (stable moderate substance use, decreasing substance use, increasing substance use, stable high substance use). Custody loss during adolescence predicted membership in the stable high substance use trajectory group (log odds estimate = 2.99, p = < 0.01). No significant associations were found with adolescent substance use treatment. The findings can inform policymakers, foster care professionals, and law enforcement officers to promote the delivery of timely and appropriate substance use services that respond to the unique needs of females across the child welfare and juvenile justice system populations.

A critical examination of youth service trajectories: Black children’s transition from child welfare to youth justice

In Canada, and more specifically Quebec, little research exists regarding Black children’s exits from the child welfare system (CWS) and subsequent involvement under the youth criminal justice system. This study uses longitudinal clinical administrative data to examine racial differences in youth justice involvement among maltreated youth and adolescents. Our sample cohort is based on the child welfare records of 7592 children who were first referred for ongoing child welfare services between January 1st 2007, and December 31st 2017. Cox proportional hazard model was used to investigate the associations between youth justice involvement and various predictor variables. From our cohort, 12.7% of children had youth justice involvement after having committed an offence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). Child and social risk factors found to predict youth justice involvement included age at the initial child welfare investigation, sex, language, and race. First-generation immigrant youth were less likely to transition to youth justice. Regarding CWS case characteristics, source of the child welfare report, investigations for behavioural disturbance, placement instability and placement in a rehabilitation centre also predicted youth justice involvement. Longer duration of CWS involvement was found to decrease the likelihood of youth justice involvement. These findings raise important implications for critically examining racial disparity in Quebec.

Psychological comorbidities and suicidality in sexual and gender minority foster youth

ObjectiveSexual and gender minority youth (SGMY), or those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or gender diverse and questioning are suggested to be overrepresented in the U.S. foster care system. Lack of systematized data collection on youths’ sexual orientation and/or gender identity in child welfare has curtailed studies of this population. This community-based study assessed psychological and behavioral health of youth with current or past foster care involvement in an urban public child welfare system, and examined relations between types of victimization (e.g. LGBTQ-based victimization, caregiver rejection, intimate partner violence) and psychological functioning. MethodsA total of 35 (12–26 years old) participants were administered a survey assessing multiple domains of health and wellbeing between October 2018 and February 2020. Primary quantitative outcomes included depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptomatology, suicide ideation, planning, and attempt, and non-suicidal self-injury. Results42.7 % of participants identified as lesbian or gay, 37.1 % as bisexual or pansexual, and 20 % identified as heterosexual. 54.3 % identified as transgender or gender diverse (TG/GD). Over 75 % (75.06 %, n = 25) of the total sample met the clinical cutoff for Total Internalizing, 64.71 % (n = 22) met the clinical cutoff for Depression, and 78.79 % (n = 26) met the clinical cutoff for Anxiety. 70 % reported suicidal ideation and 45 % past suicide attempt. Rejection experiences based on sexual orientation were associated with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic symptoms; discrimination experiences based on sexual orientation or TG/GD expression were associated with anxiety. Loneliness and everyday discrimination were associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms. IPV, everyday discrimination, rejection, discrimination, and victimization based on sexual orientation and gender identity, while not statistically significant within this sample, did emerge as factors warranting further investigation concerning suicide ideation, planning, and attempt. Conclusion75% of the SGMY in this this study met the clinical threshold for mood disorders, reinforcing the importance of integrated behavioral health support in clinical and wraparound care for SGMY in foster care, and the critical role of SGM-specific competencies for the entire care team. Teams caring for SGMY should be aware of community resources that are competent in addressing SGM-specific stressors and the impacts of multiple forms of victimization, including intimate partner violence for SGMY. Targeted efforts and to work with families are needed.

A state-wide analysis of characteristics and predictors of dual system involvement among child victims of human trafficking

BackgroundThe child welfare system is pivotal in identifying and responding to child (younger than age 18) human trafficking victims. Children who have experienced human trafficking—or are at risk of victimization—are increasingly recognized as also being served in the juvenile justice system. Yet little is known about human trafficking victimization among children in the juvenile justice population or among children with child welfare and juvenile justice involvement. ObjectiveBuilding on previous research with child welfare–and juvenile justice–involved children, we investigated characteristics and system experiences among children who have experienced a human trafficking abuse allegation in Florida. Participants and settingThe overall study population included all children born on or after January 1, 1993, who had at least one DCF-documented maltreatment allegation before March 1, 2020. This study examined a total of 12,167 allegations in the first set of analyses and the first human trafficking allegation for each child (N = 9300) in the second set of analyses. MethodsAnalyses are based on linked administrative data for a cohort of children involved with Florida's Departments of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and/or Children and Families (DCF). We used descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses to document the characteristics of single and dual system–involved children and examine predictors of child welfare, juvenile justice, and dual system involvement. Results(1) Nearly half of children with a human trafficking abuse allegation are involved in DCF at the time of the allegation, (2) females who experienced trafficking are more likely to be involved in DCF (with or without DJJ involvement) than involved in no system, (3) Black children with an alleged trafficking incident were more likely than White children to be involved in both systems compared with DCF only, and (4) children who experienced labor trafficking abuse allegations were less likely than those who experienced sex trafficking to be involved with either system. ConclusionsThis study depicts child victims of sex and labor trafficking who are involved with one or both systems in one state.

Housing circumstances of disabled parents within the child welfare system

Parents with disabilities are more likely than their nondisabled counterparts to have child welfare system involvement. Furthermore, once they are involved in the child welfare system, parents with disabilities have disproportionately high rates of poor outcomes, including termination of parental rights. Inadequate housing is also associated with heightened risk for child welfare system involvement, and yet no study has explored the housing circumstances of parents with different types of disabilities within the child welfare system.The present study aims to fill these gaps by providing a national-level examination of the housing circumstances of parents with disabilities involved in the child welfare system, including parents from racial and ethnic minorities. Using data from data the 2018 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), Poisson regression analyses yielded risk ratios, which were used to compare the housing circumstances of parents with and without disabilities. Interaction terms were used to explore the compounding effects of race and disability.Results show that parents with disabilities compared to parents without disabilities experience heightened risk for inadequate housing. The risk is compounded for Black parents with disabilities. These findings indicate the need to prioritize housing supports for disabled parents with child welfare system involvement.

Juvenile justice and child welfare dual system involvement among females with and without histories of commercial sexual exploitation

Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) is related to both child welfare (CW) and juvenile justice (JJ) system involvement, yet research of CSE largely examines single system involvement. Using a sample of justice involved females with histories in out-of-home care, this study explores dual system contact for females with CSE experiences (n = 225) compared to a matched sample of females without a history of CSE (n = 237). Differences between the samples’ system experiences were compared using chi-square analyses or t-tests of group mean differences. Nearly all females had a history of at least one maltreatment allegation and between 69% and 76% of the samples were classified as dual system females as measured by the justice-involved youth also having a substantiated case of maltreatment. The CSE sample, compared to the no-CSE sample, had significantly more contact with the juvenile justice system including more arrests, petitions filed, bench warrants, and entrances to detention. Findings highlight the extent of dual system involvement among justice involved females with histories of CSE and out-of-home care, and the need for cross-systems collaboration to improve youth outcomes.

Understanding and Promoting Child Wellbeing After Child Welfare System Involvement: Progress Made and Challenges Ahead

Understanding and Promoting Child Wellbeing After Child Welfare System Involvement: Progress Made and Challenges Ahead

Facilitators and barriers to reunification among housing unstable families

Housing unstable families with child welfare system involvement face multiple challenges to successfully reunifying with their families. This explanatory qualitative study followed up on findings from a county-sponsored Pay for Success (PFS) RCT. The study focused on understanding the facilitators and barriers to reunification, bringing together the perspectives of a random sample of 16 housing-unstable caregivers whose children were in foster care, their PFS program workers, and their child welfare caseworkers. We conducted in-depth, in-person interviews with 52 participants. Major facilitators of reunification included strong client motivation, PFS program workers empowering and advocating for clients, the program’s ability to meet clients’ basic needs, and PFS program worker/child welfare worker collaboration. The barriers participants identified included the clients’ complex and continuing challenges and crises, limited and/or toxic social support systems, and systemic issues within the court and child welfare systems, including evaluations of worthiness and a failure to collaborate. We explore findings regarding their contribution to the literature on housing unstable families involved with child welfare and implications for practice, policy, and research.

Promoting permanency in families with parental substance misuse: lessons from a process evaluation of a multi-system program

BackgroundFamilies affected by substance misuse are at increased risk for child maltreatment and child welfare system involvement. The Enhancing Permanency in Children and Families (EPIC) program uses four evidence-based and informed multi-system practices to promote safety and permanency outcomes for children involved with the child welfare system due to parental substance misuse: 1) Peer Recovery Support (PRS), 2) Family Treatment Drug Court (FTDC), 3) Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) and 4) Nurturing Parent Program (NPP) relational skill-building. The purpose of the current study was to identify barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned in the implementation of and client engagement with the main components of EPIC.MethodsSeventeen key EPIC personnel participated in the study. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Qualitative analysis involved the thematic coding of the interviews, and program facilitators and barriers were revealed.ResultsPRS were identified as a primary strength of the EPIC program, providing experiential connection to participating families and a valuable source of information. High turnover and matching PRS to families were barriers to PRS implementation. FTDC contributed to client success as judges developed interpersonal relationships with the clients that balanced support with accountability. Client attitudes toward court presented barriers to FTDC engagement. MOUD provided stabilization and was perceived by caseworkers as an engagement facilitator and a layer of client accountability; however, the lack of availability of MOUD service providers presented a barrier for some clients. Parental relational skill-building was not valued by clients and was perceived as conflicting with sobriety-focused activities.ConclusionsThe EPIC program provides comprehensive, coordinated multi-system support and care to families affected by parental substance misuse. Continued efforts to improve recruitment and retention of PRS, reframing client perceptions of FTDC, and increasing access to MOUD may contribute to increased engagement in the program. Findings highlight the utility of tracking process outcomes in community-based interventions to promote participant engagement in programs set in complex systems.Trial registrationNCT04700696. Registered January 7, 2021-retrospectively registered.

Characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide among youth involved with the U.S. child welfare system

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 10–21 years in the United States. Evidence suggests rates of suicide are particularly concerning among youth involved with the child welfare system. Approximately 618,000 children in the U.S. were involved with the child welfare system in 2020, however, little is known about factors associated with suicide in these vulnerable youth. This retrospective study uniquely examines characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide in youth involved with the child welfare system using integrated data from a state’s child welfare and violent death reporting systems from 2011 to 2017. Participants included 499 youth suicide decedents with (n = 191) and without (n = 308) child welfare system involvement. Most decedents were male (n = 370), White (n = 377), non-Hispanic (n = 477), aged 10–18 years (n = 274), and died by hanging/suffocation (n = 258). No significant differences were found between suicide decedents for precipitating circumstances associated with other relationship problems, interpersonal trauma, or life stressors. A current mental health problem was present in 55.5 % of all suicide decedents with child welfare system involvement, compared to 47.8 % of youth with no system involvement. The presence of alcohol, opioids, or marijuana at time of death was significantly higher for youth suicide decedents involved with the child welfare system. Youth decedents with a history of suicide attempts were also significantly more likely to be involved with the child welfare system. (AOR = 2.16, 95 % CI 1.32–3.55, p =.002). Findings underscore the need for more effective suicide risk detection and targeted prevention initiatives for youth involved with the child welfare system.

60.2 A Hard-Knock Life That Doesn’t Have to Be: The Cycle of Youth in Foster Care

Child welfare system involvement impacts the lives of thousands of youth and families across the country. There are systemic and structural factors that interplay with imperfect human decision making to determine a child’s likelihood of being removed from their family and placed in foster care, and that result in the overrepresentation of BIPOC and gender/sexual-minority youth in care. This presentation will highlight the experiences of these youth to understand why foster care is emotionally, and administratively, complicated.

Comparing the prevalence of sexual behaviors and victimization among adolescents based on child welfare system involvement

ObjectiveSexual behavior presents risks, particularly among vulnerable groups such as adolescents with child welfare system involvement. This study compares the prevalence of sexual behaviors and victimization among adolescents in Los Angeles County with and without child welfare system involvement. It examines associations between online and offline sexual behaviors and victimization. MethodsThe sample included middle and high school students (N = 2365) and high school students only (N = 1068) participating in the 2015 Los Angeles Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Measures included child welfare system involvement with or without foster care placement, demographics (race, ethnicity, gender, age), in-person sexual behaviors (e.g., unsafe sex), online sexual behaviors (e.g., sent/received sext), and sexual victimization (forced sex, dating physical violence, dating sexual assault). Logistic regressions examined variability in sexual behaviors and victimization based on child welfare involvement, net of demographics. Path analyses associated online sexual behaviors with victimization and offline risk. ResultsGreater reported sexual behavior and victimization among foster care youths was found, relative to youths without child welfare system involvement (maximum OR = 9.8). Youth with child welfare system involvement but not placed in foster care reported more unsafe sex, sexting because of pressure, finding a sex partner online, having sex with a partner met online, and forced sex (maximum OR = 10.4). Sexting was associated with forced sex and dating sexual assault, finding a sexual partner online, and physical violence. ConclusionsTargeted prevention is needed for online and offline sexual risks and victimization among youth with child welfare system involvement.

Are Home Evictions Associated with Child Welfare System Involvement? Empirical Evidence from National Eviction Records and Child Protective Services Data.

This study aimed to understand the relationship between home eviction and child welfare system involvement at the county level. Using administrative data, we examined associations of home eviction and eviction filing rates with child abuse and neglect (CAN) reports and foster care entries. We found one additional eviction per 100 renter-occupied homes in a county was associated with a 1.3% increase in the rate of CAN reports and a 1.6% increase in foster care entries. The association between eviction and foster care entries was strongest among Hispanic children with an 8.1% increase. Assisting parents in providing stable housing may reduce the risk of child welfare system involvement, including out-of-home child placement. Primary and secondary prevention strategies could include housing assistance, increasing access to affordable and safe housing, as well as providing economic support for families (e.g., tax credits, childcare subsidies) that reduce parental financial burden to access stable housing.

Child welfare involvement and adjustment among care alumni and their children: A systematic review of risk and protective factors

BackgroundRecent research and policy recognize care alumni (i.e., adults formerly in out-of-home care [OHC]) as a population with a high accumulation of disadvantages well into adulthood, often in combination with early parenthood compared to the general population. ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview on the impact of parental OHC on outcomes for both parents (i.e. parental adjustment, parenting) and their children (i.e. prevalence rates of OHC or child welfare system (CWS) involvement, adjustment, development), as well as protective and risk factors associated with those outcomes. MethodsRelevant articles were searched in four electronic databases from conception to 16 February 2022 according to PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews; supplemented with hand-searched citations from relevant references. Evidence was synthesized via a qualitative summary. ResultsA total of 38 studies were included (19 quantitative, 14 qualitative, and 5 mixed-methods studies). Studies confirm increased rates of early parenthood among care alumni and an elevated risk of OHC among their children. However, most children remain with their care alumni parents, and some parents were met with the needed support to cope with challenging circumstances. Qualitative studies point to a great need for specialized services, including parenting programs that address past trauma and attachment issues. They also highlight potential protective factors. ConclusionsFindings suggest that care alumni parents experience compounding disadvantage, which may increase their children's risk of OHC. More research is needed on child adjustment, and on protective factors that can be leveraged to design effective interventions that decrease transgenerational CWS involvement.

Preventing child protective services system involvement by asking families what they need: Findings from a multi-site RCT of the community response program (CRP)

In the mid-2000s, the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board developed an intervention called the Community Response Program (CRP), intended to fill an important gap in the continuum of services to address child maltreatment. Specifically, families reported to child protective services (CPS) for alleged child maltreatment, but diverted (i.e., their cases were screened out at the hotline call stage or closed following an investigation), were offered voluntary case management services tailored to each family’s unique circumstances and self-determined needs. The goal of CRP was to significantly reduce future contacts with the child welfare system within this population.Beginning in late 2016, seven CRP sites representing 16 Wisconsin counties participated in a randomized control trial to determine the effectiveness of the intervention for reducing CPS involvement. The sample involved families (N = 12,373) diverted from CPS across the program sites. Findings include that CRP staff were able to contact 38% of families in the treatment group, and 12% of families (32% of those contacted) enrolled in the program. CRP participants identified a range of service needs, but over half identified one or more economic needs as service priorities. Just over one-third identified needs related to parenting, and about one quarter identified mental and behavioral health needs. Among participants, over half attained at least one self-determined service goal, and approximately one-quarter attained all of their service goals.To address selection into treatment, we used propensity score matching techniques to conduct treatment-on-the-treated analyses. Results showed that in some program sites, modest to large declines in child welfare system involvement were observed for the treatment versus the control group, and these declines were much more pronounced and consistent in the subgroup that had a screened-out index report compared to those with an investigated index report. However, in some sites, increases in child welfare system involvement occurred in the treatment group relative to the control group, suggesting that the CRP intervention may not be equally helpful to all families, or requires modifications to enhance success in some sites. The implications of these findings for child maltreatment prevention are discussed.

Prenatal Substance Use Policies And Infant Maltreatment Reports.

We studied the effect of state punitive and supportive prenatal substance use policies on reports of infant maltreatment to child protection agencies. Punitive policies criminalize prenatal substance use or define it as child maltreatment, whereas supportive policies provide pregnant women with priority access to substance use disorder treatment programs. Using difference-in-differences methods, we found that total infant maltreatment reports increased by 19.0percent after punitive policy adoption during the years of our study (2004-18). This growth was driven by a 38.4percent increase in substantiated reports in which the mother was the alleged perpetrator. There were no changes in unsubstantiated reports after the adoption of punitive policies. We observed no changes in infant maltreatment reports after the adoption of supportive policies. Findings suggest that punitive policies lead to large increases in substantiated infant maltreatment reports, which in turn may lead to child welfare system involvement soon after childbirth in states with these policies. Policy makers should design interventions that emphasize support services and improve well-being for mothers and infants.

The Afterlife of Decriminalisation: Anti-trafficking, Child Protection, and the Limits of Trauma-informed Efforts

ABSTRACT Numerous laws have passed to move away from criminalising youth who trade sex. Specialised courts have also been established to support youth. Despite proponents' contention that specialised, trauma-informed courts are less punitive than typical interventions, research is limited. This article explores one specialised dependency court's efforts to assist youth ‘at risk’. Drawing on interviews and ethnographic observations, I argue that laws and trauma-informed court interventions intensify the supervision of youth and families while inadvertently concealing the gendered-racialised effects of child welfare system involvement. Ethnographic findings contribute to sociolegal and anti-carceral feminist research on carceral control beyond the criminal legal system. This work also explores the ethics of carceral-trauma entanglements that accompany decriminalisation’s afterlife.