Report Examines Child Maltreatment Investigation Timing, Collaboration between Child Abuse Pediatricians and Child Protective Services Investigators
The Multidisciplinary Pediatric Education and Evaluation Consortium (MPEEC) is a medically directed, hospital-based program funded by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The program provides CPS investigators with real-time medical expert consultation and a definitive manner of injury determination. It promotes collaboration by requiring child protective services (CPS) investigators to consult with a child abuse pediatrician (CAP) whenever they investigate allegations of serious harm to children younger than 3 years old who live in Chicago.
This brief describes the findings from a study of MPEEC.
What We Did
We linked data from MPEEC’s comprehensive database of referred cases to data from the Illinois Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS). Then we analyzed the linked data. Our sample included 690 cases referred to MPEEC between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2021
What We Found
- MPEEC determined that 43% of the injuries they evaluated were accidental, 31% resulted from abuse (19%) or neglect (12%), and 6% were due to a medical condition.
- In 87% of the cases, the results of the DCFS investigation agreed with MPEEC’s expert medical opinion about how the child was injured.
- On average, MPEEC submitted its report to DCFS 16 days after receiving a referral, but DCFS did not decide whether a child had been maltreated until 45 days after MPEEC submitted its report.
- DCFS took the most time to decide whether a child had been maltreated when MPEEC determined that the manner of injury was abuse.
- MPEEC’s involvement did not reduce the amount of time it took for DCFS to decide whether a child had been maltreated in cases involving allegations of serious harm to children younger than age 3.
What It Means
According to DCFS policy, CPS investigations should be completed within 60 days of receiving a hotline report unless a 30-day extension is granted for “good cause.” However, DCFS took, on average, a total of 71 days to decide whether a child had been maltreated even though MPEEC shared its expert medical opinion with DCFS an average of 16 days after it received a referral. It is unclear why investigations remained open an average of 45 days after MPEEC had offered its expert medical opinion. Because children may be separated from their parents or legal guardians while an investigation is conducted as part of a voluntary safety plan, decisions about whether a child had been maltreated should be made without delay, especially after MPEEC has determined that an injury was due to an accident or medical condition rather than to abuse or neglect.
Although it does not reduce racial bias in child maltreatment reporting, this model can reduce bias in the outcome of investigations because all cases that meet MPEEC eligibility criteria benefit from CAP expertise and cross-system information sharing, regardless of the injured child’s race, ethnicity, neighborhood, or socio-economic status and because decisions made by CPS and law enforcement are medically informed. More programs like MPEEC are needed to improve the quality of investigations of suspected child abuse and neglect. Child welfare systems in other states should consider implementing similar programs.
Questions about this work? Reach out to Amy Dworsky.
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