Child maltreatment in the time of COVID-19: Changes in the Florida foster care system surrounding the COVID-19 safer-at-home order.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Media outlets have suggested that rates of child maltreatment may increase during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The few empirical studies that have examined pandemic related changes in rates of child maltreatment have relied predominantly on reports of suspected maltreatment.

Objective

This study examines rates of documented, substantiated child maltreatment resulting in foster care placement, as well as demographic correlates of child maltreatment within the foster care system, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants and setting

Data were available for all youth in the FL foster care system from January 1, 2001 through June 30, 2020 (i.e., > 304,000 youth; > 1.1 million total placements).

Methods

This study utilizes data from the Flori

SUBMITTER: Musser ED 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7837623 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature