Supporting Families at Risk of Involvement with the Child Welfare System in Washington State

Project Context:

•  In Washington State, families investigated by child welfare staff receive a comprehensive assessment that includes reviewing both risk and safety factors.
  • Families assessed as “moderate-high” or “high” risk have more factors that lead to higher rates of child welfare reoccurrence, compared to families assessed as having lower levels of risk.
• From 2016 to 2023, as entries into care decreased, the share of higher risk families experiencing re-referral and additional child welfare investigations increased.
• In response, the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) sought to better understand these families’ needs and challenges, as well as the types of supports from which these families could benefit, to reduce their likelihood of future child welfare contact.

How the GPL Supported:

• Conducted analysis to better understand the needs and characteristics of families considered to be at moderate-high to high risk of subsequent interactions with child welfare, including:
  • Reviewing case notes of 50 families deemed moderate-high to high risk who experienced subsequent reports within one year.
  • Analyzing over 50,000 intakes of families deemed moderate-high to high risk who experienced either 1) no subsequent reports, 2) subsequent reports but no child removal, or 3) subsequent reports and a child removal.
• Worked with DCYF staff to identify reasons for the re-reporting cycle. Potential reasons included services not meeting families’ needs, families not trusting DCYF-offered services, and families feeling obligated to complete services.
• Identified two potential priority pathways to connect families to additional upstream supports. These pathways were aimed at supporting families typically considered moderate-high to high risk to prevent any future child welfare contact. The pathways first focus on the most common referral sources, then the types of needs families typically have when reported by each of these sources.
  • Roughly two thirds of families reported by hospital social workers indicated a caregiver with substance use disorder needs.
  • Roughly two thirds of families reported by school staff indicated a child with mental health needs.
• Proposed short- and long-term interventions including:
  • Updated protocols and training so caseworkers can better identify and respond to families’ complex needs.
  • A pilot program that has social workers or school workers connect families directly to community providers for support.