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Effects of the Child Protection System on Parents

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Abstract

Child protective services investigate a third of child-homes for maltreatment, yet repercussions for parents remain unclear. I show that parents face considerable adversity when referred for alleged child maltreatment. Using a novel strategy that combines event studies with variation in intervention tendencies across investigators, I find that child protective services interventions mostly affect mothers. Mothers increase enrollment in mental health and substance abuse treatment services for a year, even when not mandated to do so. Earnings and employment are unaffected, but social services support decrease. Long-run effects differ by whether the intervention involves a child removal. Removals increase repeat child welfare involvement and short-run incarceration for parents.

Suggested Citation

  • Grimon, Marie-Pascale, 2023. "Effects of the Child Protection System on Parents," Working Paper Series 2/2023, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research, revised 16 Apr 2024.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:sofiwp:2023_002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Henrik Kleven & Camille Landais & Jakob Egholt Søgaard, 2019. "Children and Gender Inequality: Evidence from Denmark," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 181-209, October.
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    5. Kim, H. & Wildeman, C. & Jonson-Reid, M. & Drake, B., 2017. "Lifetime prevalence of investigating child maltreatment among US children," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 107(2), pages 274-280.
    6. Joseph J. Doyle Jr., 2008. "Child Protection and Adult Crime: Using Investigator Assignment to Estimate Causal Effects of Foster Care," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(4), pages 746-770, August.
    7. Brantly Callaway & Andrew Goodman-Bacon & Pedro H. C. Sant'Anna, 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with a Continuous Treatment," Papers 2107.02637, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    8. Buckles, Kasey & Evans, William N. & Lieber, Ethan M.J., 2023. "The drug crisis and the living arrangements of children," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    child welfare; parents; substance abuse;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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