Accurate and ongoing surveillance of the incidence of child maltreatment and related risk and protective factors can help to inform policy and programs as well as shape prevention and intervention efforts. One promising approach to capturing this information is by linking local, state, or federal administrative records, such as those from child welfare, health, social services, education, public safety, and other agencies.
The Child Maltreatment Incidence Data Linkages project identified five research groups (sites) with experience using linked administrative data to examine child maltreatment incidence and related risk and protective factors and supported these sites to enhance their approaches to administrative data linkage through acquisition of new data sources, use of new methods, or replication of existing methods. The project team conducted a study to assess the feasibility of enhancing data linkage and analysis efforts to produce new information on child maltreatment and to identify promising practices and contextual and organizational factors related to using linked administrative data.
Purpose:
This webinar highlighted promising practices and contextual and organizational factors related to using linked administrative data to understand the incidence of and risk and protective factors associated with child maltreatment.
Key Findings and Highlights:
Site leads from the feasibility study provided lessons learned and promising practices from their own experiences related to three activities (1) developing research questions and exploring partnerships, (2) sharing and accessing data, and (3) preparing data and completing linkages and responds to audience questions
Citation:
Stagner, Matt, Claire Smither Wulsin, Abigail Newby-Kew, Jared Parrish, Rebecca Rebbe, and Brenda Smith (2022). Webinar: Linking Administrative Data to Improve Understanding of Child Maltreatment Incidence and Related Risk and Protective Factors - A Feasibility Study. September 06, 2022. OPRE Report #2021-261, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.