Principal Investigator:
Jim Schwab, Ph.D.
Don Baumann, Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
Duration: 95 – 97
The Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services has undertaken a number of studies on caseworker decision-making and outcomes, with a view to improving their ability to identify cases most at risk for maltreatment. The Child Death Study is one component of these studies which seeks to identify those cases of child abuse and neglect that are at greatest risk of having a fatality occur so that intervention might prevent the fatality. The first year of the three year project collected extensive information from the child welfare literature, other states accounts of their experiences, Child Death review teams, child welfare professionals who have been involved with cases in which a fatality occurred, and pre-existing information resources within the department. Based on this information, data collection instruments were designed and pilot-tested.
Sponsor:
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services