Medical Professional Reports and Child Welfare System Infant Investigations: An Analysis of National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System Data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Medical professionals are key components of child maltreatment surveillance. Updated estimates of reporting rates by medical professionals are needed.

Methods

We use the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (2000-2019) to estimate rates of child welfare investigations of infants stemming from medical professional reporting to child welfare agencies. We adjust for missing data and join records to population data to compute race/ethnicity-specific rates of infant exposure to child welfare investigations at the state-year level, including sub-analyses related to pregnant/parenting people's substance use.

Results

Between 2010 and 2019, child welfare investigated 2.8 million infants; ∼26% (n=731,705) stemmed from medical professionals' reports. Po

SUBMITTER: Edwards F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10541941 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature