With support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families, researchers from Partners for Our Children and the West Coast Poverty Center examined data from a survey of child welfare-involved parents in Washington State to measure the extent and nature
of “economic disconnection” among these families and to explore the relationship between disconnection and engagement in child welfare services. This brief explores their findings. We begin with a brief overview of what is known about economic disconnection. We then present findings from the Washington State survey about how many child-welfare involved families are economically disconnected and how these families’ economic circumstances and their patterns of engagement with the child welfare system compare with those of families who are connected to the labor market or social services. We end with a summary of the reactions of policymakers and practitioners to this research as well as their suggestions for extending the work in the future.
Lee, JoAnn. Economically Disconnected Families Involved with Child Welfare Services in Washington State. DIALOGUES on Research and Policy, January 2012
