Diversion Does Not Eliminate Risk: Re-Reports Among First-Time CPS-Involved Children

Background and Purpose

Each year, child protective services (CPS) agencies in the United States investigate millions of maltreatment allegations, and approximately 70% of children are diverted from CPS following an investigation. Although these families do not remain under CPS supervision, many continue to face elevated risk of subsequent system involvement. Despite this, diverted families remain understudied, particularly using recent national data. This study examines rates of re-report within two years among children reported to CPS during calendar year 2021, with a focus on those reported for the first time.

Methods

This study utilized data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) to identify all children reported during calendar year 2021. Of these, 1,763,324 children were identified as first-time reports, while nearly half of initially identified children were excluded due to prior CPS involvement. Families diverted from CPS were defined as those not receiving post-response services. States were excluded if no children received post-response services or if fewer than 10% of children received services, resulting in the exclusion of New York, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Additional exclusions were made for children older than age 16 or with missing age data, yielding a final analytic sample of 945,348 children. Re-report was defined as a valid report within two years of the index report. Analyses were restricted to children with at least two years of follow-up. Descriptive statistics characterized the sample, and multivariable logistic regression models estimated associations between child characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, and report source) and re-report.

Results

Approximately 45% of children diverted from CPS were re-reported within two years. Children aged 5 and under had 44% higher odds of re-report compared to older children (OR = 1.44, p < .001). Reports from professional reporters were associated with lower odds of re-report compared to nonprofessional reporters (OR = 0.82, p < .001), while anonymous reports were also associated with modestly reduced odds (OR = 0.88, p < .001). Compared to multiracial non-Hispanic children, White (OR = 0.83), Black (OR = 0.81), Asian/Pacific Islander (OR = 0.49), and Hispanic (OR = 0.69) children had lower odds of re-report (all p < .001), while American Indian/Alaska Native children did not differ significantly.

Conclusions and Implications

A substantial proportion of children diverted from CPS are re-reported within two years, indicating that diversion does not eliminate risk of subsequent system involvement. Younger children and those reported by nonprofessional sources appear particularly vulnerable, suggesting potential gaps in post-investigation support. The large proportion of children excluded due to prior CPS involvement highlights the importance of distinguishing first-time from repeat system contact. These findings underscore the need for targeted prevention and early intervention strategies for families diverted from CPS.