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Inadequate Housing Among Families Under Investigation for Child Abuse and Neglect: Prevalence from a National Probability Sample

  • Original Article
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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of inadequate housing that threaten out-of-home placement among families under investigation by child welfare. Data came from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of child welfare-involved families. Child protective services caseworkers as well as caregivers provided information on families whose child remained in the home after initial investigation (N = 3,867). Multilevel latent class analyses tested the presence of inadequately housed subgroups using 4 housing problem indicators at baseline. Logistic regressions assessed convergent and predictive validity. A two class latent solution best fit the data. Findings indicated that inadequate housing contributed to risk for out-of-home placement in approximately 16 % of intact families under investigation by child protective services. These families were 4 times more likely to need housing services 12 months later. Federal legislation emphasizes integration of social services as necessary to end homelessness. This study demonstrates overlap across public agencies. Enhanced coordination of child welfare and housing services facilitates interventions to prevent and mitigate homelessness.

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Acknowledgments

The project described was supported by Award Number R03HD066066 (PI: Fowler) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1196, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA

    Patrick J. Fowler

  2. Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    David B. Henry

  3. School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Michael Schoeny

  4. Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, Rady Children’s Hospital - San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    John Landsverk

  5. DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Dina Chavira & Jeremy J. Taylor

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  1. Patrick J. Fowler
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  2. David B. Henry
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  3. Michael Schoeny
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  4. John Landsverk
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  5. Dina Chavira
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Correspondence to Patrick J. Fowler.

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Fowler, P.J., Henry, D.B., Schoeny, M. et al. Inadequate Housing Among Families Under Investigation for Child Abuse and Neglect: Prevalence from a National Probability Sample. Am J Community Psychol 52, 106–114 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-013-9580-8

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