CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Predictors of Child Welfare Contact Between Birth and Age Five:
An Examination of California’s 2002 Birth Cohort
Barbara Needell, MSW, PhDEmily Putnam-Hornstein, MSW (lead author)
Center for Social Services Research University of California at Berkeley
The Performance Indicators Project is a collaboration of the California Department of Social Services and the University of California at Berkeley,
and is supported by the California Department of Social Services and the Stuart Foundation
Presentation designed by Bryn King
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Using Birth Records (and other Administrative Data Sources) to Examine
Opportunity and Equality• Birth records and other administrative datasets may contain
valuable information—with variables that are associated with substantial differences in outcomes
• Findings based on linkages of administrative data sources may assist in targeting vulnerable populations
• The study presented today is an example of how linked administrative data can inform our work--what other data linkages might be useful?
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
California's 2002 Birth Cohort Study
• Utilized population-level birth data to describe those children who may be at greatest risk of maltreatment during the first five years of life
• Constructed a unique dataset by linking California’s administrative child welfare data to statewide vital birth records
• Employed a cohort study design to track contacts with child protective services (CPS) for children born in 2002
• Analyzed twelve variables captured in the birth record to determine predictive capability for later CPS contact
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Understanding the Variation Hidden Beneath Summary Data
• Seeing the forest for the trees:– Of the 531,035 children born in California in 2002, 14%
(N=74,182) were found to have been referred for possible maltreatment before age 5.
– There was tremendous variation in rates of CPS contact among a number of birth variables, including: birth weight; level of prenatal care; maternal birth place, age and education; paternity information; Medi-Cal coverage; and race/ethnicity.
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Rate of CPS Involvement:Birth Weight
rate per 1,000
187 1370
100
200
300
400
500
low (<2,500 g) normal (>=2,500 g)
overall rate of 140/1,000
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Rate of CPS Involvement:Prenatal Care
rate per 1,000
489 254 223 1230
100
200
300
400
500
none third trimester second trimester first trimester
overall rate of 140/1,000
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Rate of CPS Involvement:Maternal Birth Place
rate per 1,000
183 900
100
200
300
400
500
US-born foreign-born
overall rate of 140/1,000
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Rate of CPS Involvement:Maternal Age at Birth
rate per 1,000
257 190 126 930
100
200
300
400
500
<20 yrs 20-24 yrs 25-29 yrs 30+ yrs
overall rate of 140/1,000
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Rate of CPS Involvement:Maternal Education
rate per 1,000
201 179 114 340
100
200
300
400
500
<12th grade 12th grade some college college+
overall rate of 140/1,000
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Rate of CPS Involvement:Paternity Information
rate per 1,000
344 1240
100
200
300
400
500
missing present
overall rate of 140/1,000
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Rate of CPS Involvement:Medi-Cal Coverage at Birth
rate per 1,000
212 850
100
200
300
400
500
medi-cal other
overall rate of 140/1,000
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Rate of CPS Involvement:Maternal Race / Ethnicity
rate per 1,000
349 300 143 54 1340
100
200
300
400
500
native am black hispanic asian / pi white
overall rate of 140/1,000
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Risk of CPS Contact (and 95% CI) by Race and Medi-Cal Coverage at Birth
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Conclusion
• Summary statistics (e.g., 14% of California’s children are reported to CPS before age 5) can mask extraordinary important variation.
• Strong interactions may occur among variables of interest (e.g., race and poverty).
• We must dig below the surface, and be wary of “facts” that hide the information we really need to understand the populations we serve.
• Birth records can be a useful source of information to view events and outcomes from a public health perspective.
CENTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RESEARCH School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley
Barbara [email protected]
510 290 6334
CSSR.BERKELEY.EDU/UCB_CHILDWELFARE
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