Service Engagement of Mothers in the Child Welfare System Who Experience IPV

Background and Purpose: While intimate partner violence (IPV) often co-occurs with child maltreatment, the child welfare (CW) system has struggled to deliver strengths-based services when both issues are present. Abused women report feeling that CW caseworkers are unsympathetic to their victimization and hold mothers accountable for the IPV. Therefore, mothers experiencing IPV may show low levels of engagement in CW services. CW cases with IPV are more likely to result in child removal, but it is unclear whether this is related to greater risks or other factors such as caseworker bias. Parents who are thought of as uncooperative may be offered fewer services, and are more likely to face court proceedings. Understanding engagement dimensions among abused mothers in the CW system could help improve relationships between caseworkers and parents, and in turn, lead to greater service plan compliance and better case outcomes.

Methods: A random sample of mothers (N=337) with children aged 0-5 receiving in-home CW services were interviewed about individual and family risk and protective factors, and their experiences with the CW system as a child and as a parent. Maternal engagement was measured using the Client Engagement in Child Protective Services scale (Yatchmenoff, 2005), which measures four dimensions of engagement in non-voluntary CW services: receptivity, buy-in, working relationship, and trust. Differences between mothers who did and did not report IPV were explored with bivariate correlations. The groups were compared by demographic characteristics, risk factors, and scores on engagement dimensions. Significant demographic and risk differences between the two groups were entered into four multiple regression models to examine factors that predict the dimensions of child welfare engagement among mothers who reported IPV (n=108) compared to mothers who did not (n=229).

Results: Almost a third of all mothers in the sample reported IPV in the past year. Mothers experiencing IPV showed greater mental health and substance abuse problems, but were similar to non-abused mothers in age, number of children, income, and education level. In terms of service engagement, abused mothers reported higher buy-in and receptivity, but lower trust and more negative working relationships with CW services compared to mothers not reporting IPV. Regression models showed that being a teen parent, having a substance abuse problem, and living with an intimate partner were all barriers to engagement. Engagement was stronger among abused mothers with anxiety symptomology and those who were involved in CW themselves as a child.

Implications: Engaging clients in services has long been considered essential to strengths-based practice. While many families in the CW system present barriers to engagement, parents experiencing IPV may be particularly challenging. Findings that mothers report high buy-in and receptivity to services may indicate their willingness to receive needed services and support. However, the low ratings of both worker relationship and trust show that partnering with caseworkers can be particularly difficult in these instances. Respecting client self-determination and engaging in harm reduction strategies, such as safety planning, can build stronger caseworker relationships, which have been shown to contribute to positive outcomes for children and families.