Preventing Child Neglect with the U.S. Economic Safety Net

My contributions to this book chapter represent nearly 30 years of thinking about the role of the social welfare safety net as a prevention lever for child maltreatment and child welfare system involvement. As my last publication before retiring from the UW-Madison and moving into a senior scientist position at RTI International, it has a very special meaning to me.

In the chapter, my colleagues and I summarize over 30 years of research related to the relationship between social welfare and economic safety net policies and child welfare system involvement, including 20 pages of citations. We also offer a conceptual model for understanding the key factors influencing the persistent association between poverty and both child maltreatment (proxies) and child welfare system involvement. Special considerations for American Indian and Alaska Native populations are discussed.