Answering More Big Questions about Differential Response: Long-Term Safety and Cost Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Colorado

Background and Purpose:

Differential Response (DR) is a child welfare system reform that allows child protective services (CPS) to tailor responses to reports of child abuse and neglect based on the level of family risk. In Colorado, DR was implemented to include a dual-track system where high-risk cases receive a traditional investigation, while low- and moderate-risk cases receive an assessment of the family’s needs and strengths without a maltreatment determination. To address the gap in longitudinal research on DR, this study examined the safety outcomes and child welfare costs of low- and moderate- risk families in five Colorado counties who were randomly assigned to either a family assessment response (FAR) or a high risk assessment (HRA). Two key research questions were:

1. Are children whose families are assigned to FAR as safe as or safer than children whose families are assigned to HRA?
2. What are the long-term cost implications for child welfare agencies that implement a DR-organized CPS system?

Methods:

The follow-up outcomes study replicated the original study methods, in which an experimental design featuring a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was implemented to produce net impact estimates for the introduction of DR in Colorado. The current study uses a four-year time period over which to evaluate safety and cost outcomes. A total of 3,194 accepted referrals were randomly assigned to the FAR track, while 1,802 were randomly assigned to the HRA track. Using child welfare administrative data, the research team employed regression analyses to document differences in safety and cost outcomes between FAR and HRA families when adjusting for the effects of demographics and risk factors. The cost analysis estimated the child welfare case-level costs for families assigned to the FAR or HRA track during the follow-up period. The cost data collection was limited to child-welfare-related costs associated with service provision and out-of-home (OOH) placement.

Results:

As in the original study, DR implementation did not compromise child safety, as there were no statistically significant differences in subsequent referral, assessment, child welfare case, and OOH placement outcomes. Additionally, DR did not impose an additional cost burden for the child welfare system. However, the cost study results suggest that follow-up service and placement costs for HRA cases were significantly higher than FAR cases.

Conclusions and Implications:

With the original pilot implementation and subsequent expansion, it is clear that DR has enriched traditional CPS practices in Colorado. This shift broadens the opportunity to infuse child welfare with social work values and solution-focused strategies, as illustrated in emerging practices such as family engagement meetings and prevention services. Based on the difference between the tracks on follow-up costs and the lack of difference in longitudinal safety outcomes, it can be inferred that FAR cases will be less costly than HRA cases over time without compromising child safety. This may ultimately create cost efficiency for family assessment response in achieving better outcomes at a lower cost. There is a need for ongoing research of DR practice through collaborative partnerships between practitioners, decision makers, and families.