TY - JOUR
T1 - Benefits of longitudinally linked national records of child maltreatment report and foster care
AU - Kim, Hyunil
AU - Orsi-Hunt, Rebecca
AU - Drake, Brett
AU - Hollinshead, Dana
AU - Fluke, John
AU - Jones, Dylan
AU - Wilson, Rachel
AU - Jonson-Reid, Melissa
AU - Ahn, Eunhye
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/3
Y1 - 2025/3
N2 - Background: The Report and Placement Integrated Data System (RAPIDS) integrates two U.S. national data systems—NCANDS' child maltreatment report (CMR) records and AFCARS' foster care (FC) records—into a single longitudinal dataset spanning 2006–2021. This integration enables comprehensive child maltreatment analysis by linking the annual files from these previously separate systems. Objective: To explore benefits of RAPIDS data in understanding CMR outcomes. Participants and setting: Children aged 0–10 years with CMRs in 2018 (N = 2,371,119). Methods: Using logistic regression, we modeled five outcomes: two current outcomes from 2018 index reports (substantiation and foster care entry) and three future outcomes within two years (re-report, substantiated re-report, and foster are entry). For each outcome, we compared models using only index report data without RAPIDS variables against models incorporating RAPIDS-enabled variables that capture longitudinal patterns across reports, placements, and siblings. Results: RAPIDS data improved model performance across all outcomes, with greater gains for future outcomes. Overall model fit (Tjur's R2) increased for substantiation (11.75 % → 12.53 %), FC entry (4.17 % → 6.38 %), rereport (0.94 % → 4.99 %), substantiated rereport (1.04 % → 3.31 %), and future FC entry (0.85 % → 2.51 %). Predictive performance also improved: at 80 % sensitivity, specificity increased for substantiation (54 % → 56 %), FC entry (52 % → 58 %), rereport (27 % → 36 %), substantiated rereport (33 % → 42 %), and future FC entry (37 % → 49 %). Additionally, RAPIDS data enabled analysis of a wider array of predictors and their associations with outcomes, fully utilizing national longitudinal CMR and FC records. Conclusions: RAPIDS data enhance explanatory power and predictive accuracy, enabling nationwide, longitudinal analysis of CMR and FC records and offering valuable insights into risk and protective factors.
AB - Background: The Report and Placement Integrated Data System (RAPIDS) integrates two U.S. national data systems—NCANDS' child maltreatment report (CMR) records and AFCARS' foster care (FC) records—into a single longitudinal dataset spanning 2006–2021. This integration enables comprehensive child maltreatment analysis by linking the annual files from these previously separate systems. Objective: To explore benefits of RAPIDS data in understanding CMR outcomes. Participants and setting: Children aged 0–10 years with CMRs in 2018 (N = 2,371,119). Methods: Using logistic regression, we modeled five outcomes: two current outcomes from 2018 index reports (substantiation and foster care entry) and three future outcomes within two years (re-report, substantiated re-report, and foster are entry). For each outcome, we compared models using only index report data without RAPIDS variables against models incorporating RAPIDS-enabled variables that capture longitudinal patterns across reports, placements, and siblings. Results: RAPIDS data improved model performance across all outcomes, with greater gains for future outcomes. Overall model fit (Tjur's R2) increased for substantiation (11.75 % → 12.53 %), FC entry (4.17 % → 6.38 %), rereport (0.94 % → 4.99 %), substantiated rereport (1.04 % → 3.31 %), and future FC entry (0.85 % → 2.51 %). Predictive performance also improved: at 80 % sensitivity, specificity increased for substantiation (54 % → 56 %), FC entry (52 % → 58 %), rereport (27 % → 36 %), substantiated rereport (33 % → 42 %), and future FC entry (37 % → 49 %). Additionally, RAPIDS data enabled analysis of a wider array of predictors and their associations with outcomes, fully utilizing national longitudinal CMR and FC records. Conclusions: RAPIDS data enhance explanatory power and predictive accuracy, enabling nationwide, longitudinal analysis of CMR and FC records and offering valuable insights into risk and protective factors.
KW - Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System
KW - Child Protective Services
KW - Child maltreatment report
KW - Foster care
KW - National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System
KW - Report And Placement Integrated Data System
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85215229053&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107262
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107262
M3 - Article
C2 - 39837168
AN - SCOPUS:85215229053
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 161
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
M1 - 107262
ER -