New Data on State Child Maltreatment Definitions and Policies: An Introduction to the Data and Research Possibilities of the State Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Policies Database

Child welfare systems vary greatly across states, given differences in state laws and policies. These differences include how states define and respond to child abuse and neglect, including what gets reported, screened-in, and investigated, which influences who comes to the attention of the child welfare system. The State Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Policies Database is the only resource of its kind and serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, advocates, and others to access and use data on the variability of state maltreatment definitions and related policies. This information has not been previously available in a standardized easy-to-use format. The SCAN Policies Database, funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in collaboration with the Children's Bureau, currently has two rounds of data available from 2019 and 2021. A primary benefit of these data is to allow researchers to link the SCAN Policies Database to other data sources, so we can answer important questions about how variations in states definitions and policies may relate to maltreatment incidence and how the child welfare system responds. The latter is important in determining how states can improve their policies to promote more equitable responses to maltreatment.

The workshop will start with an overview by OPRE of the rationale and need for the SCAN Policies Database, especially how it can improve our understanding of child maltreatment incidence across states and help answer key questions for the field. The SCAN Policies Database team will provide an overview of the information available in the database. Workshop participants will learn how to access the data and resources available from the SCAN Policies Database website and from the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. Participants will also learn how to link the SCAN Policies Database with other data sources. Presenters will share findings about how definitions and policies varied across states and over time, plus preview the forthcoming 2023 dataset.

The workshop will also highlight how different data-users have used the SCAN Policies Database in their work, including researchers, advocates, and policy makers. Researchers from Child Trends will share two examples of analyses utilizing data from the SCAN Policies Database. The first is an examination of whether states exempt income-related factors from their definitions of neglect, and the impact such exemptions could have on families living with low-income, in particular families of color. The second analysis showcases how data from the SCAN Policies Database can be linked to other data sources and focuses on the relationship. The workshop will include time for questions and discussion to help participants consider how the data can be used to support their research.