Decision-making in Child Protective Services: A Study of Effectiveness, Phase I, 1997

Dataset Number: 83
Investigator(s): English, D.
Abstract: Description: Investigators in the Office of Children's Administration Research in the Department of Social and Health Services of Washington State compared child protective services (CPS) referrals that were substantiated to those classified as inconclusive or unsubstantiated. The primary objectives of their study, the Child Protective Services Decision-Making Study, were to examine the decision-making criteria used by CPS workers and to assess the effectiveness of criteria associated with major CPS decisions. Factors influencing decisions and subsequent outcomes for families such as re-referral, recurrence, and placement were examined.
  The analytic dataset was drawn from all CPS referrals accepted for investigation between July 1, 1994 and June 30, 1995. All cases in the set met the following criteria: summary referrals were completed by September 30, 1995; duplicate referrals were removed; length of service was less than 240 days; overall risk rating as well as some risk variables were present; cases did not have a review or transfer status; and cases had a single type of abuse. Of the 41,652 calls CPS accepted for investigation during the target year, 12,978 met criteria for inclusion in the dataset.
  In addition to abuse history and demographic data, the file contains the results of a risk assessment performed using a 37-item Risk Factor Matrix. The Matrix includes assessments in the following domains: child characteristics; severity of abuse or neglect; chronicity; caretaker characteristics; caretaker relationship; social and economic factors; and perpetrator access.
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