1997-2014 and 2015-2025
The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) is a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of children and families who have been the subjects of investigation by Child Protective Services. NSCAW examines child and family well-being outcomes in detail and seeks to relate those outcomes to experience with the child welfare system and to family characteristics, community environment, and other factors. NSCAW includes first-hand reports from children, parents, and other caregivers, as well as reports from caseworkers and teachers.
To date, there are three cohorts of NSCAW:
- NSCAW I, the landmark study, was launched in 1997 and continued through 2007;
- NSCAW II was initiated in 2006 and completed in 2014; and
- NSCAW III began in 2015 and is ongoing.
NSCAW III. Data is currently being collected baseline (wave 1) and follow-up (wave 2) in NSCAW III. The design of NSCAW III was guided by three priorities: (1) keeping NSCAW III as comparable to the two previous cohorts as possible, (2) minimizing response burden for all participants, and (3) making sure that the NSCAW III sample and instruments best reflected the composition and characteristics of children being served by the child welfare system in 2017. Additionally, a new sub-study on the child welfare workforce takes advantage of the NSCAW III sampling frame.
Reimagining NSCAW. In the fall of 2021, the Reimagining NSCAW project started to carry out preliminary activities for future data collection performed as part of NSCAW. These activities include (a) developing potential design option(s), (b) active engagement of various experts throughout the project life course, (c) conducting preliminary data collection, and (d) disseminating findings from preliminary data collection and/or secondary analysis of data from prior cohorts of NSCAW. Reimagining NSCAW aims to complement and build from the existing portfolio of projects within the Administration for Children and Families to address research questions and priorities related the well-being of children and families involved with the child welfare system, as well as their service needs and utilization.
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, in collaboration with the Children’s Bureau, provides oversight for NSCAW. The NSCAW project team is led by RTI International and partners include HR Directions (LLC), Miami Environmental and Energy Solutions (LLC), Rutgers University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Point(s) of contact: Christine Fortunato.
Information collections related to this project have been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under OMB #0970-0202. Related materials are available on at the NSCAW III Information collection page on RegInfo.gov .
The most currently approved document are accessible by clicking on the ICR Ref. No. with the most recent conclusion date. To access the information collections (e.g. interviews, surveys, protocols), click on View Information Collection (IC) List. Click on View Supporting Statement and Other Documents to access other supplementary documents.
Data from NSCAW I and NSCAW II are archived at the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect [NDACAN ].