Abstract: Caregiver-Child Relationships in CPS Cases with Domestic Violence Allegations (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Schedule:

Friday, January 16, 2026

Independence BR F, ML 4 (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)

* noted as presenting author

Rebecca Rebbe, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Stephanie Cuccaro-Alamin, PhD, Research Associate, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Lindsey Palmer, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Bryan Victor, PhD, Associate Professor, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

Background & Purpose:

Approximately 20% of reports made to child protective services (CPS) agencies involve concerns of domestic violence (DV). Exposure to DV adversely affects children's developmental and health outcomes. Families that interact with CPS and have DV concerns often have complex service needs, which may vary based on the family’s composition. Yet, the structures of these families, including the relationships between caregivers and children, are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the caregivers involved in CPS investigations with DV concerns, the allegations made against them, and whether caregiver relationships correlate with CPS outcomes.

Methods:

We analyzed CPS administrative data from Los Angeles County (2018-2021). We identified concerns of domestic violence through linked Structured Decision-Making safety assessment data. We classified and tallied the maltreatment allegation types and relationships among caregivers with maltreatment allegations in the CPS reports. We assessed for differences in these distributions through chi-square analysis. For the binary outcomes of case opening and foster care placement, we ran modified Poisson regression models with a robust error variance and adjusted for case characteristics. Results are presented as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results:

A total of 14,618 caregivers had maltreatment allegations in 8,988 investigations where DV was identified as a safety concern. The relationships of these caregivers included fathers (43.0%), mothers (42.1%), unrelated males (7.9%), and stepfathers (2.6%). Substantiation rates were highest for mothers (79.3%), fathers (74.3%), and stepfathers (67.6%). Statistically significant differences were identified in substantiated maltreatment types, (p < .001), where stepfathers had the highest rate of substantiated abuse (19.8%) and mothers the highest rate of neglect (71.0%). Investigations with allegations regarding an unrelated male or stepfather had increased relative risk of case opening for services (RR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04-1.16), but not for foster care placement (RR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.95-1.15).

Conclusion & Implications:

Family composition was associated with an increased likelihood of CPS cases being opened for services beyond an investigation. The increased risk of case openings involving unrelated males, without corresponding increases in foster care placement, suggests that while children may remain in the home, additional services and court oversight are necessary for ensuring their safety for these families. Similarly, specialized services for these families and tailored trainings for multidisciplinary workers are likely also required.