According to the Administration for Children and Families, in 2017, there were more than 3.5 million cases of reported maltreatment, with still more instances of neglect and abuse going unreported. Policymakers and agencies need trusted evidence more than ever to make critical decisions that could help prevent child abuse. As part of its mission to improve public well-being, Mathematica is reimagining the way the world gathers and uses data to improve programs, refine strategies, and enhance understanding.
Mathematica's expertise at the intersection of data, methods, policy, and practice have helped show the following:
- Communities can reduce the effects of adverse childhood experiences.
- A 2016 study found that public–private partnerships in rural parts of Washington State had a positive impact on reducing the long-term social, emotional, and physical problems related to adverse childhood experiences. These partnerships, with only modest investments and limited staff, demonstrate how communities coming together can generate progress.
- Well-implemented home visiting programs can prevent child maltreatment.
- Mathematica is surfacing evidence on how well-designed and well-implemented home visiting programs can prevent maltreatment. Although home visiting programs serve at-risk pregnant women and their children, not all home visiting models are built on rigorous research. Mathematica is reviewing the effectiveness of home visiting program models, determining which models have enough evidence to be considered evidence based. To ensure these programs meet the needs of tribal residents, we summarized a variety of approaches to providing culturally relevant home visiting services to tribal communities.
Insights in Action
Child welfare experts from Mathematica will attend the upcoming 21st National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) from April 24 to 26. Professionals planning to attend NCCAN can watch Mathematica experts discuss the following:
- Implementing Evidence-Based Practices for Child Welfare Populations: Perspectives from Implementation Science and a National Evaluation
- Presented by Patricia Del Grosso and Mathew Stange on Wednesday, April 24 from 3:05 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
- Findings from the Regional Partnership Grant National Cross-Site Evaluation - Partnerships Developed, Evidence Based Programs Offered, and Participant Outcomes
- Presented by Angela D’Angelo, Juliette Henke, and Russell Cole on Friday, April 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
- Selecting and Using Child Well-Being Measures: Evidence from Three National Studies of Programs Serving At-Risk Children and Families
- Presented by Angela D’Angelo, Yange Xue, and Russell Cole on Friday, April 26 from 3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Webinars
To engage practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders fromaround the country, Mathematica recently hosted two webinars focused on child welfare. These recorded webinars are free and available at any time through our website.
- Learning Together to Prevent Homelessness for Youth and Young Adults with Child Welfare Involvement
- Through a grant program run by the Children’s Bureau, six diverse organizations have been working to prevent homelessness among young people since 2013. Click here to watch the recorded webinar and learn more about this multiphase grant project. Speakers addressed grantee challenges, what worked to engage young people, and what policymakers and service providers should think about as they design and implement similar programs.
- Extending Child Support Cooperation Requirements: The State Perspective
- Single parents are required to cooperate with child support enforcement activities to be eligible for some public assistance programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Medicaid. But for other assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, states have the flexibility to design policies that best meet the needs of their residents. Mathematica and the National Conference of State Legislatures hosted a webinar on March 14, 2019, focused on using research and lessons from the field to better inform policy considerations about this topic.
Throughout April, be sure to spread awareness using the hashtag #NCAPM2019 and share your thoughts about NCCAN using the conference hashtag #21NCCAN. And don’t forget to follow Mathematica on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to learn more about how we are partnering to help strengthen the work of child welfare agencies and programs.