2017-2027
This project will support the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in identifying federal, state, and/or local definitions and policies related to the surveillance of child maltreatment and related risk and protective factors. The primary goal is to create a State Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Policies Database that allows researchers and policy analysts to link to other data sources to address important questions about how variations in these definitions and policies are associated with child welfare intake, screening practices, substantiation decisions, service provision, and ultimately child safety and well-being. The database includes child abuse and neglect definitions and policies collected from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. A SCAN Policies Database website allows users to download summary state profiles of the child maltreatment policies and definitions as well as access resources to help understand and guide the interpretation of this information.
This project is conducted through a contract to Mathematica with a subcontract to Child Trends.
Data from the SCAN Policies Database are also archived at the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect [NDACAN ].
Point(s) of contact: Christine Fortunato and Mary Mueggenborg.