Co-production of ICT and children at risk: The introduction of the Child Index in Dutch child welfare

This article studies the construction of children at risk in the introduction process of a novel ICT system in Dutch child welfare, the Child Index. This early warning electronic information system enables early reporting of children at risk to stimulate multidisciplinary collaboration among the different professionals involved with a particular child. We followed the introduction of the Child Index in practice. Our empirical analysis provides insight into the co-production of this ICT system and risk in child welfare practices. The analysis shows that the interaction between local and national, and disciplinary and organisational differences induces various constructions of risk, making the decision to signal and the act of signalling risk complex and the status of a signalled risk vague. Moreover, the analysis illustrates that the Child Index's goal of early signals for all children at risk does not fit professionals' daily practices and highlights the need to discuss whether the risk signalling ambitions of the Child Index are not a larger risk to children than the risks that are being targeted.