Introduction
This report is part of a series describing findings from the third cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW III) baseline data collection. This report provides a summary of the services received by children ages 0 to 17.5. Included are descriptions of children’s health insurance status, health services, behavioral health services, services for young children, and special education services.
This report is part of a series that provides analysis of data collected on children, caregivers, and investigative caseworkers during the baseline wave of NSCAW III. Baseline data collection began in November 2017 and was completed in March 2022.
NSCAW III was conducted by RTI International through a contract from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with ACF’s Children’s Bureau. The study is currently authorized by Social Security Act § 429 [42 U.S.C. 628b].
Baseline data from NSCAW III are archived at the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect [NDACAN ].
Purpose
The purpose of this report is to describe the types of services received by children in the NSCAW III baseline cohort. The report also describes children’s insurance coverage and need for various services.
Key Findings and Highlights
- Most children in NSCAW III had medical insurance from Medicaid/SCHIP (80.9%) and 13.6% of children had private insurance.
- Caregivers reported that most children had a usual place of health care (92.3%).
- Most caregivers reported that their child had received a well-child checkup in the last 12 months (89.6%).
- Among children 2 years and older, 78.6% of in-home caregivers and 75.0% of out-of-home caregivers reported that their child had received dental care in the past 12 months.
- Among children 1.5 to 17 years old, 22.8% of in-home caregivers and 15.5% of out-of-home caregivers reported that their child had received outpatient specialty behavioral health services in the past year or since the start of the living arrangement.
- Among children 1.5 to 17 years old, 13.8% of in-home caregivers and 9.8% of out-of-home caregivers reported that their child had visited a doctor for behavioral/emotional problems or substance use problems in the past year or since the start of the living arrangement.
- Overall, among children 1.5 to 17 years old, 31.8% of in-home caregivers and 22.1% of out-of-home caregivers reported that their child had received some kind of mental health services for behavioral/emotional problems or substance use problems in the past year or since the start of the living arrangement.
- Among children 0 to 36 months, less than one in 20 (4.7%) had an Individualized Family Service Plan. Among children 37 to 59 months, 4.8% had an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Among children 5 to 17 years old, 22.4% had an IEP.
Methods
The NSCAW III sampling frame was expanded to include children with a closed maltreatment investigation and also children who enter foster care through other pathways, such as juvenile justice and no-fault dependency proceedings. Children were sampled from participating state and county child welfare agencies between July 2017 and September 2021. Baseline data collection began in November 2017 and included three types of respondents: caregivers, children, and caseworkers. In March 2020, interviews were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NSCAW III employed a stratified, two-stage sample design with the primary sampling units (PSUs) being U.S. counties or contiguous areas of two or more counties and secondary sampling units being children who entered the child welfare system (CWS) through a child maltreatment investigation or an alternative pathway during the sample recruitment period. It was also designed to produce national estimates of the population entering CWS.
Key derived variables for analyses include child sociodemographic characteristics, indicators of need for services, and types of services. The tables in this report present nationally representative estimates of all children in the United States, ages 0 to 17.5 years, who had CWS contact via a child maltreatment investigation or who entered the child welfare system via an alternative pathway, regardless of the outcome of the investigation.
Citation
Armstrong, J.M., Casanueva, C., Bray, R., Kluckman, M., Larrabee, H.M., Dolan, M., & Ringeisen, H. (2024). NSCAW III Baseline Report (2017-2022): Children’s Services. OPRE Report #2024-334. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.