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Child Welfare System Involvement in the United States: 2016–2023.

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Title: Child Welfare System Involvement in the United States: 2016–2023.
Authors: Yi, Youngmin (AUTHOR), Edwards, Frank (AUTHOR), Wakefield, Sara (AUTHOR), Wildeman, Christopher (AUTHOR)
Source: Pediatrics. Aug2026, Vol. 158 Issue 2, p1-9. 1p.
Subjects: Prevention of child abuse, Child welfare, Alaska Natives, African Americans, Foster home care, Descriptive statistics, Trend analysis, Race, Health equity, Native Americans, Children
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Childhood and family contexts and understanding of communicable respiratory diseases shifted during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, competing hypotheses have emerged around children's risks of maltreatment and system contact, highlighting a need for greater understanding of trends in child welfare system involvement before, during, and since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study estimates the cumulative prevalence of several stages of child welfare contact for all US children and across racial and ethnic groups between 2016 and 2023. METHODS: We constructed a synthetic cohort life table of age-specific and cumulative risks of child welfare contact, using population data on child welfare events and children's race, ethnicity, and age from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, Population Estimates Program, and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. RESULTS: US children's cumulative prevalence of investigation (32.2% [32.1%–32.2%]), confirmed maltreatment (9.0% [9.0%–9.0%]), foster care placement (3.6% [3.6%–3.6%]), and parental rights termination (0.9% [0.9%–0.9%]) declined between 2016 and 2023. Declines were largest between 2019 and 2020, with substantial racial and ethnic variation in magnitudes of risks and declines. As of 2023, the highest risks of child welfare system contact were among American Indian/Alaska Native and Black children, and the lowest risks were among Asian children. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal that the onset of the decline in cumulative risks of child welfare system contact preceded, rather than followed, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated during that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Pediatrics is the property of American Academy of Pediatrics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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  Data: Child Welfare System Involvement in the United States: 2016–2023.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yi%2C+Youngmin%22">Yi, Youngmin</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Edwards%2C+Frank%22">Edwards, Frank</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wakefield%2C+Sara%22">Wakefield, Sara</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wildeman%2C+Christopher%22">Wildeman, Christopher</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Pediatrics%22">Pediatrics</searchLink>. Aug2026, Vol. 158 Issue 2, p1-9. 1p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prevention+of+child+abuse%22">Prevention of child abuse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+welfare%22">Child welfare</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Alaska+Natives%22">Alaska Natives</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22African+Americans%22">African Americans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foster+home+care%22">Foster home care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trend+analysis%22">Trend analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Race%22">Race</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+equity%22">Health equity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Native+Americans%22">Native Americans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink>
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– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Childhood and family contexts and understanding of communicable respiratory diseases shifted during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, competing hypotheses have emerged around children's risks of maltreatment and system contact, highlighting a need for greater understanding of trends in child welfare system involvement before, during, and since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study estimates the cumulative prevalence of several stages of child welfare contact for all US children and across racial and ethnic groups between 2016 and 2023. METHODS: We constructed a synthetic cohort life table of age-specific and cumulative risks of child welfare contact, using population data on child welfare events and children's race, ethnicity, and age from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, Population Estimates Program, and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. RESULTS: US children's cumulative prevalence of investigation (32.2% [32.1%–32.2%]), confirmed maltreatment (9.0% [9.0%–9.0%]), foster care placement (3.6% [3.6%–3.6%]), and parental rights termination (0.9% [0.9%–0.9%]) declined between 2016 and 2023. Declines were largest between 2019 and 2020, with substantial racial and ethnic variation in magnitudes of risks and declines. As of 2023, the highest risks of child welfare system contact were among American Indian/Alaska Native and Black children, and the lowest risks were among Asian children. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal that the onset of the decline in cumulative risks of child welfare system contact preceded, rather than followed, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated during that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Pediatrics is the property of American Academy of Pediatrics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=195830969
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1542/peds.2025-074635
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 1
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Prevention of child abuse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child welfare
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Alaska Natives
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: African Americans
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foster home care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Trend analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Race
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health equity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Native Americans
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United States
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Child Welfare System Involvement in the United States: 2016–2023.
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            NameFull: Yi, Youngmin
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            NameFull: Edwards, Frank
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            NameFull: Wakefield, Sara
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            – D: 01
              M: 08
              Text: Aug2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 00314005
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              Value: 158
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              Value: 2
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            – TitleFull: Pediatrics
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