Journal Article

Impacts of the Prevention and Aftercare Program in Los Angeles County: A Propensity Score Analysis of Subsequent Child Protective Services Involvement

Palmer, Lindsey, Prindle, John, Eastman, Andrea Lane, Foust, Regan, McCroskey, Jacquelyn, Rebbe, Rebecca

2023

Overview

Child maltreatment is a pervasive public health problem with well-documented impacts on a child's well-being. The connection between social , determinants , of health and child maltreatment is well established, particularly economic stability and mobility, education, and health care. Prevention and aftercare networks (P&A) use a community-based approach to offer volun tary services to address social determinants of health through collaborative approaches to supporting and strengthening families in their communities. The three core strategies of P&A are to provide economic opportunities and support self-sufficiency, decrease social isolation, and increase access to a broad range of existing community-based resources, supports, and services. The current study leveraged administrative child protection system (CPS) records and P&A program data from Los Angeles County to document the relationship between P&A referrals and CPS involvement following service engagement among families with screened-out CPS reports between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2019 (N = 52,353). Overall, 6,895 (13.2%) families were referred for P&A services and 748 (1.4%) successfully completed P&A services. Weighted Cox analyses showed families who completed P&A services were less likely to enter foster care compared to families never referred to P&A services (HR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.33, 0.78). Results suggest that offering voluntary, community-based services may prevent out-of-home placement, especially if families engage in and successfully complete services.

• Publisher: Child Welfare League of America, Inc
• Subject: Abused children / Access to Health Care / After care / Alaska Natives / Child Abuse / Child abuse & neglect / Child Health / Child Neglect / Child placement / Child Safety / Child welfare / Children / Children & youth / Collaborative approach / Community / Community Programs / Community Services / Community-based programs / Counties / County Programs / Demonstration Programs / Departments / Economic opportunities / Economic stabilization / Economics / Families & family life / Family (Sociological Unit) / Foster care / Health education / Health problems / Health services / Mental health / Mobility / Networks / Parenting Skills / Physical Health / Prevention / Prevention programs / Preventive medicine / Propensity / Public health / Self sufficiency / Services / Social determinants of health / Social Environment / Social factors / Social isolation / Telephone hotlines / Well being