Research finds that state child tax credits, higher minimum wage thresholds, more expansive contraceptive access policies, and broader SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) eligibility requirements are linked to reduced maltreatment and neglect of children under age 3.
These findings come from a new article published in Child Maltreatment, for which Child Trends researchers examined whether changes in state-level economic and family planning supports implemented from 2005 to 2019 were associated with changes in rates of reported and substantiated abuse and neglect; the effects varied by race and ethnicity.
“Many community leaders, practitioners, researchers, and other child welfare stakeholders are concerned about the adverse effects of child maltreatment on children’s development,” said Tyreasa Washington, a Child Trends distinguished senior scholar in child welfare.
“Additionally, children and families who are impacted by the child welfare system experience complex challenges, often triggered by reports of suspected maltreatment, which also point to the need to find new ways to address maltreatment. The study’s findings are encouraging for determining tactics to decrease child maltreatment.”
