Parental Criminal Justice Involvement and Children's Involvement With Child Protective Services: Do Adult Drug Treatment Courts Prevent Child Maltreatment?

Abstract

Background In light of evidence showing reduced criminal recidivism and cost savings, adult drug treatment courts have grown in popularity. However, the potential spillover benefits to family members are understudied. Objectives To examine: 1) the overlap between parents who were convicted of a substance-related offense and their children’s involvement with child protective services (CPS); and 2) whether parental participation in an adult drug treatment court program reduces children’s risk for CPS involvement. Methods Administrative data from North Carolina courts, birth records, and social services were linked at the child level. First, children of parents convicted of a substance-related offense were matched to (a) children of parents convicted of a non-substance-related offense and (b) those not convicted of any offense. Second, we compared children of parents who completed a DTC program with children of parents who were referred but did not enroll, who enrolled for <90 days but did not complete, and who enrolled for 90+ days but did not complete. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model group differences in the odds of being reported to CPS in the one to three years following parental criminal conviction or, alternatively, being referred to a DTC program. Results Children of parents convicted of a substance-related offense were at greater risk of CPS involvement than children whose parents were not convicted of any charge, but DTC participation did not mitigate this risk. Conclusion/Importance The role of specialty courts as a strategy for reducing children’s risk of maltreatment should be further explored.

Criminally Involved Parents Who Misuse Substances and Children’s Odds of Being Arrested as a Young Adult: Do Drug Treatment Courts Mitigate the Risk?

“…The results of this study complement two other studies that demonstrated that the children of drug treatment participants, and the broader population of individuals with convictions who are not served by drug treatment courts, are at an elevated risk of being involved with child protective services (Gifford et al 2016) and of having poor academic outcomes (Gifford et al 2015). Given the enormous societal costs of involvement with child protective services, being arrested as a youth, and poor school outcomes (Cohen 1998; Cohen et al 2010; Fang et al 2012; Sum et al 2009), learning how to implement effective prevention strategies is warranted.…”

“…Such stress can take an emotional toll and can increase conflict in the home (Conger et al 1994). Parental criminal involvement has been associated with increased risk of children’s mental health problems (Dallaire and Wilson 2010; Phillips et al 2002), child protective services involvement (Gifford et al 2016), and lower school performance (Gifford et al 2015). Moreover, a substantial body of research has found that criminality runs in families—particularly from fathers to sons (Bijleveld and Wijkman 2009; Farrington et al 2001; Hjalmarsson and Lindquist 2012; Junger et al 2013; Rowe and Farrington 1997; van de Rakt et al 2009, 2010; van de Weijer et al 2014).…”

Improving Outcomes for Children Affected by Parental Involvement with the Criminal Justice System in Scotland

“…Research examining parental involvement across agencies within the criminal justice system is limited (Bartlett et al, 2018). However, these children are identified as being among the most complex cases encountered by child protection agencies (Gifford et al, 2016;Phillips & Detlaff, 2009). Much of the available research focuses on parental imprisonment with minimal consideration of other, or indeed multiple, points of parental involvement in the criminal justice system.…”

Family‐Centered Practice in Adult Treatment Courts: What Can We Learn from the Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards?

“…Additionally, these parents scored significantly higher on child maltreatment potential, inconsistent discipline and non‐corporal punishment, and significantly lower on parental involvement than matched co‐caregivers who were not involved in the ATC program (Guastaferro et al, 2020). An earlier study documented that ATC participants’ children were at high‐risk of child protective services report and involvement (Gifford, Eldred, Sloan, & Evans, 2016).…”

“…Despite the recognized benefits of parenting and family services for ATC participants, few ATC programs are family centered. As such, existing literature suggests that ATC participation has no effect on child safety outcomes (Gifford, Eldred, Sloan, et al, 2016), child education (Gifford, Sloan, Eldred, & Evans, 2015), or likelihood of children being arrested as young adults (Gifford, Eldred, Evans, & Sloan, 2016). While limited, these studies point to a missed opportunity for intervention to improve the participants’ and future generations’ outcomes.…”