Decision-Making in Unsubstantiated Child Protective Services Cases: A Synthesis of Recent Research

摘要

In the year 2000, nearly twice as many referrals to child protective services (CPS) were unsubstantiated as substantiated. However, many of the children in unsubstantiated cases become the subjects of subsequent CPS referrals. In a sample of 35,000 CPS cases in Missouri, three-quarters of the children who were referred to CPS two or more times including child fatalities had cases that were initially unsubstantiated. The decision to unsubstantiate a referral does not guarantee a childs safety from future harm. To better protect children, decision-making and outcomes in unsubstantiated CPS cases warranted closer review. To further explore this issue, the Childrens Bureau awarded three research grants in 1998 on unsubstantiated CPS cases. The studies findings respond to two key questions: (1) What factors influence the decision to substantiate or unsubstantiate a CPS referral; and (2) How does that decision impact outcomes for children. In an effort to share with the field the knowledge gained from these studies, this paper synthesizes their findings around these two questions and presents some of the researchers suggestions for practical implications and future research.