Session: Family Composition & Child Welfare: Assessing the Roles of Caregiver Characteristics and Family Context (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Families in the United States are heterogeneous, varying in terms of family composition and caregiver characteristics. Despite this diversity, the majority of studies focusing on child maltreatment and child protection system (CPS) interactions tend to concentrate on the child-level. Consequently, there is limited information about the relationships between family context and CPS contact. This is particularly important because CPS services are generally provided at the family-level. To develop effective policies, services, and interventions aimed at addressing child maltreatment, it is imperative to explicate the relationships between CPS interactions and family composition.

This symposium comprises four papers that advance the field of child welfare by examining the associations between family contexts and various CPS measures. The first paper analyzes national CPS report data (NCANDS) to examine variations in child maltreatment substantiation patterns across different family compositions and perpetrator configurations. The second paper examines national foster care data (AFCARS) to determine whether caretaker family structure at the time of removal influences the duration of stay in foster care and the likelihood of reunification. The third paper uses data from California to assess which caregivers have maltreatment allegations in CPS investigations involving concerns of domestic violence and whether different caregiver relationships correlate with CPS outcomes. The fourth paper investigates differences in CPS reports between single-parent and two-parent families, alongside multiple sociodemographic characteristics.

Collectively, these papers contribute novel insights into child welfare, which can inform the development of policies, prevention services, and interventions. A child welfare scholar will serve as the discussant, providing overarching comments on the four papers and facilitating a discussion with the audience about implications for policy, practice, and future research.