Development of the Checklist of Service Needs and Barriers (C-SNAB) Measure for Caregivers Involved in Child Maltreatment Investigations

Abstract

Caregivers involved in child welfare report receiving fewer services than they anticipated or desired. To date, service needs and barriers research has focused on mental health care, though this pattern of unmet needs likely extends to other critically important areas (i.e., physical health, basic needs, school, social support). Further, there is lack of a standardized measure that captures these constructs. The current study developed a self-report measure of needs, use, and barriers across a wide range of service areas. Participants were caregivers of children involved in child abuse or neglect investigations (N = 32, 59% Latino, 50% alleged perpetrator) and were recruited as part of a larger study evaluating a multidisciplinary response to allegations in a metropolitan U.S. county. Items were generated based on existing needs assessments and consultation from researchers and caseworkers. The C-SNAB appeared to have adequate coverage of the breadth of services needed (33 items) and barriers faced (19) and had good predictive validity. About 93% of caregivers endorsed at least 1 unmet service need. Caregivers experienced an average of 4 unmet needs and 7 barriers to accessing services. The current study provides an approach to practically and comprehensively assessing service needs, use and barriers within this population.