Recurrence of Substantiated Maltreatment Reports between Low-Income Parents With Disabilities and Their Propensity-Score Matched Sample Without Disabilities

Abstract

Using the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect dataset, 127 low-income parents with disabilities and a propensity score matched sample of 254 parents without disabilities were compared for the rates of repeated substantiated child maltreatment allegations and potentially distinct risks for substantiated child maltreatment recurrence. The number of substantiated child maltreatment allegations was not significantly higher for low-income parents with disabilities (M = 1.17, SD = 1.83) than their matched sample (M = .93, SD = 1.44) ( t = −1.29, p = .197). Findings from the negative binomial regression indicated that parental disability was also not a significant predictor for repeated substantiated child maltreatment allegations among low-income parents after controlling other risk factors (Exp(B) = 1.16, p < .353). In both groups, black parents were more likely to have repeated substantiated maltreatments than white parents. For parents with disabilities, being an older parent, receiving SNAP benefits, having a daughter, and having a child in continued out-of-home care significantly increased the risk for repeated substantiations while having a GED or higher education degree and living with a larger number of family decreased the risk. For parents without disabilities, family instability was the only additional risk factor for repeated maltreatment substantiations.

Investigating the Poverty-Reducing Effects of SNAP on Non-nutritional Family Outcomes: A Scoping Review

“…However, Morris and colleagues ( 2019 ) found that counties with higher percentages of SNAP participation were associated with higher risk of child abuse and neglect, though these results could be due to self-selection bias. Similarly, Cho and Lightfoot ( 2022 ) observed that for parents with disabilities, receiving SNAP benefits significantly increased the risk for substantiated child maltreatment reports. Other articles indicated that child maltreatment decreases when monthly SNAP benefits are distributed at the beginning of the month rather than distributed throughout the month (Carr & Packham, 2020 ) and as proximity to retailers that accept SNAP benefit cards increases in rural areas (Bullinger et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III (BSID-III) scores, cognitive and language outcomes Bronchetti et al, ( 2019 ) Local food prices, SNAP purchasing power, and child health National 1999–2010 Children 16% Black, 19% Hispanic Quantitative Regional cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), December Current Population Survey (CPS) Bullinger et al, ( 2021 ) Proximity to SNAP-authorized retailers and child maltreatment reports Connecticut 2011–2015 Whole family Racial/ethnic composition for defined geographical blocks, which are 100% urban, 99% urban, 80% urban, 23% urban, 100% urban, 100% urban, respectively: White: 25.2%, 50.5%, 64.8%, 76.0%, 84.3%, 89.9% Black: 27.4%, 16.1%, 11.3%, 6.6%, 3.2%, 1.6% Hispanic: 41.0%, 26.0%, 16.9%, 10.6%, 6.2%, 3.7% Quantitative Child Protective Services reports Carr & Packham, ( 2020 ) SNAP Schedules and Domestic Violence Chicago, Illinois 2009–2011 Children and mothers Not reported Quantitative Chicago crime records, City of Chicago’s online data portal for crimes Cheng, ( 2010 ) Financial self-sufficiency or return to welfare? A longitudinal study of mothers among the working poor National 1995–2000 Mothers 43.4% White, 40% African American, 16.6% Hispanic Quantitative Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) Cho & Lightfoot, ( 2022 ) Recurrence of Substantiated Maltreatment Reports between Low-Income Parents With Disabilities and Their Propensity-Score Matched Sample Without Disabilities 5 unspecified sites 1991–2012 Whole family Parents with disabilities: 37.8% White, 48% Black, 14.2% other Parent...…”

“…If a state enacted both policies, it led to a decrease in total, neglect-related, and physical-abuse-related CPS reports Elimination of the state asset test and increasing the income limit for SNAP both decrease overall child maltreatment and several types of child maltreatment, especially child neglect, although physical abuse is harder to change through SNAP Bullinger et al, ( 2021 ) The distance between households and the SNAP authorized retailers-as a measure of ease or difficulty of using one’s SNAP benefits Child maltreatment reports 5 There is no relationship between nearby SNAP stores and child maltreatment rates, with the exception of rural areas; in rural areas, proximity to a SNAP store decreases child maltreatment reports The study suggests making it administratively easier for stores to accept SNAP, or to subsidize building new grocery stores; the authors also caution policymakers to consider the costs of child abuse when doing cost–benefit analyses of SNAP Carr & Packham, ( 2020 ) SNAP participation before versus after a policy/implementation change (i.e. natural experiment) Domestic abuse and child-maltreatment 5 Shifting the benefit receipt date from the first of the month to a range of dates later in the month increased domestic abuse and child maltreatment, driven by an increase in crimes in the last three weeks of the month Staggering receipt dates leads to a large short-run increase in domestic violence, and policy makers should be aware of this and its costs when weighing against the long-run decrease in theft Cho & Lightfoot, ( 2022 ) SNAP participation versus no SNAP participation Risk for repeated child maltreatment substantiations 4 If a parent had disabilities, SNAP benefits increased the risk of repeated maltreatment substantions There needs to be much more of a focus on the needs of disabled parents in further research and policy Johnson-Motoyama et al, ( 2022 ) Differences across State policy/implementation Reports of child maltreatment accepted for CPS investigation, children in substantiated reports, and children receiving foster care services for all forms of maltreatment, and specifically for child neglect per 100 000 child population 5 Greater SNAP income generosity decreased CPS reports significantly Calls for a policy focus on the stability of household resources as well as increasing SNAP benefits ...…”

“…A majority of studies found positive impacts on abuse and neglect associated with SNAP participation (n = 8) (Austin et al, 2023 ; Bullinger et al, 2021 ; Carr & Packham, 2020 ; Cho & Lightfoot, 2022 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al, 2022 ; Millett et al, 2011 ; Morris et al, 2019 ; Xu et al, 2021 ). Some of these studies looked at SNAP as a secondary factor (n = 3).…”