Infant Placement in Canadian Child Maltreatment-Related Investigations

Williams, Gavin; Jack, Susan M.; MacMillan, Harriet L.

doi:10.1007/s11469-011-9350-5

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…The absence of association between caregiver mental health and service referral at the bivariate level is not in keeping with broader Canadian research on infants that has linked caregiver mental health to other service provision decisions, such as the decision to provide ongoing services [ 16 , 34 ], and the decision to place infants out-of-home [ 48 ]. Moreover, there is a well-established body of research that suggests that caregiver functioning issues, such as chronic depression, may act to compromise the quality of the infant-caregiver relationship and negatively impact short-term and long-term development [ 59 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Key drivers of service provision decisions differ by age. Caregiver risk factors have been found to drive the decision to provide ongoing child welfare services [ 16 , 28 , 34 ] and out-of-home placements for infants [ 48 ]. In contrast, child functioning concerns are key contributors for both decisions involving older children and adolescents [ 36 , 37 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Infants Investigated by the Child Welfare System: Exploring a Distinct Profile of Risks, Service Needs, and Referrals for Support in Ontario

et al. 2017

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The science of early childhood development underscores that maltreatment and other adversities experienced during infancy heightens the risk for poor developmental and socio-emotional outcomes. Referrals to supportive services by the child welfare system are particularly critical during infancy given the rapidity of brain development and infants’ sensitivity to their environment. The main objectives of the current study are to: (1) examine age-specific differences in clinical and case characteristics; (2) determine the factors associated with the service referral decision involving infants; and (3) explore the types of services families have been referred to at the conclusion of a maltreatment-related investigation. Using data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect for 2013, descriptive analyses were conducted, as was a logistic regression to identify factors associated with the decision to refer families of infants to supportive services. Overall, the findings reveal that the profile of infants and their families differs distinctly from those of older children with respect to risks, service needs, and service referrals, although this is rarely reflected in child welfare practice and policy. Investigations involving infants were most likely to have a referral made to supportive services, least likely to have an infant functioning concern identified; most likely to have a primary caregiver risk factor identified; and, the greatest likelihood of experiencing economic hardship. Multiple risks, identified for the primary caregiver of the infant are correlated to referral decisions for infants. However, the needs of the infant are likely under-identified and require cross-sectorial collaboration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infants Investigated by the Child Welfare System: Exploring a Distinct Profile of Risks, Service Needs, and Referrals for Support in Ontario

et al. 2017

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“…In contrast, Fast and colleagues did not find an association between child gender and the provision of ongoing service for adolescents in a Canadian sample [ 1 ]. Canadian studies that have examined the association between gender and placement [ 46 ] or the substantiation decision [ 47 ] in infant maltreatment investigations have not found a significant relationship at the bivariate level with an infant’s gender. Are the families of female infants perceived to be at greater risk and need of ongoing child welfare services than male infants?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infants and the decision to provide ongoing child welfare services

Filippelli

Fallon

Trocmé

et al. 2017

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

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BackgroundInfants are the most likely recipients of child welfare services; however, little is known about infants and families who come into contact with the child welfare system and factors that are associated with service provision. Investigations involving infants and their families present an unparalleled opportunity for the child welfare sector to enhance infants’ safety and well-being through early identification, referral and intervention. Understanding how the child welfare system responds to the unique needs of infants and caregivers is critical to developing appropriate practice and policy responses within the child welfare sector and across other allied sectors. This study examines maltreatment-related investigations in Ontario involving children under the age of one to identify which factors are most influential to predicting service provision at the conclusion of a child welfare investigation.MethodsA secondary analysis of the fifth cycle of the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS) for 2013 was conducted. The OIS is a cross-sectional child welfare study that is conducted every 5 years. The most influential factors that were associated with the decision to transfer a case to ongoing services were explored through a multivariate tree-classification technique, Chi square automatic interaction detection.ResultsThere were an estimated 7915 maltreatment-related investigations involving infants in 2013. At least one caregiver risk factor was identified in approximately three-quarters (74%) of investigations involving infants. In the majority of investigations (57%), at least one referral for specialized services was provided. Primary caregiver with few social supports was the most highly significant predictor of the decision to provide ongoing child welfare services. Primary caregiver risk factors were predominant in this model. The analysis identified subgroups of investigations involving infants for which the likelihood of being transferred to ongoing services ranged from approximately 11–97%.ConclusionCaregivers of infants are struggling with numerous challenges that can adversely compromise their ability to meet the unique developmental needs of their infant. The findings underscore the importance of community and social supports in decision-making.

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“…Maltreatment in families headed by young mothers is of particular concern because maltreated infants and young children are very vulnerable to injury and death and are more likely to be judged to be sufficiently at risk to require out-of-home placement. [7][8][9] As one indicator of risk, deaths of Canadian children aged 0 to 17 years due to family-related homicide occur predominantly among infants aged less than 12 months. 9 Due to their vulnerability, the need for immediate social service intervention may be greater compared with families with older mothers and older children.…”

Section: Key Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability within families headed by teen and young adult mothers investigated by child welfare services in Canada

Hovdestad

Shields

Williams

2015

Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can

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Introduction Young mothers’ families are at increased risk of child maltreatment and other poor health and social outcomes. Methods Young mothers’ families are at increased risk of child maltreatment and other poor health and social outcomes. Results Twenty-six percent of young mothers were 18 years or younger. Most (68% of teen-mother families and 57% of families with a young adult mother) received social assistance as their main source of income compared with 36% of families with a mother aged 22 years or older. Teen and young adult mothers were more likely than those aged 22 or older to have childhood histories of out-of-home care (31% and 23% vs. 10%) and were more likely to have risk factors such as alcohol abuse (25% and 23% vs. 18%) and few social supports (46% and 41% vs. 37%). Secondary caregivers in families with young mothers also had more risk factors. Teen and young adult mother families were more likely to have their child placed out-of-home during the investigation (29% and 27% vs. 17%). All were equally likely to be victims of domestic violence and to have mental health issues. Conclusion Within this sample of high-risk families, young mothers’ families were more at risk than comparison families. Mothers’ youth may be a useful criterion to identify families for targeted interventions.

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Infant Placement in Canadian Child Maltreatment-Related Investigations

Cited by 14 publications

References 55 publications

Infants Investigated by the Child Welfare System: Exploring a Distinct Profile of Risks, Service Needs, and Referrals for Support in Ontario

Infants Investigated by the Child Welfare System: Exploring a Distinct Profile of Risks, Service Needs, and Referrals for Support in Ontario

Infants and the decision to provide ongoing child welfare services

Vulnerability within families headed by teen and young adult mothers investigated by child welfare services in Canada

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