by Aditi Das, PhD, Consulting Manager

All too often, cases of child abuse are erroneously reported (according to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, 82% of cases reported and investigated are unsubstantiated) and families are separated when caregivers and other persons of authority – teachers, school nurses, police officers – see that children from BIPOC communities are suffering from some type of deprivation. But what if the child is suffering, but not from abuse or intentional neglect? What if the child and their entire family is in need of aid and intervention due to food insecurity, housing issues, employment issues, or other socio-economic challenges?

The California Child Welfare Council’s Prevention and Early Intervention Committee considered these issues and recently issued its Community Pathway Recommendations report. The report highlighted the State’s historic commitment towards reforming the current mandated reporter system and moving towards a community-based support system. The objective of the reforms is to keep children, youth, and families out of the child welfare system, especially those who have historically been disproportionately involved, and to find ways to more effectively help families who are faced with severe challenges.

California’s Citizen Review Panels (CRPs), including the Prevention Panel which I serve on, helped shed light on the need for reform with the State’s mandated reporter system. The CRPs evaluate the effectiveness of state and local agency efforts to comply with the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), as well as other federal and state mandated child protection standards and other criteria that the CRPs deem necessary to ensure the protection of children. These findings are then compiled into annual reports that the CRPs send to the State. Each CRP is comprised of three separate panels across the continuum of child welfare services. The Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect CRP makes recommendations to strengthen child abuse prevention efforts, the Children and Families Services CRP focuses on how to improve services to children and families involved in the Child Welfare system, and the Critical Incidents CRP makes recommendations to help reduce the incidence of child fatalities and near fatalities that occur as a result of abuse or neglect.

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and other partner agencies have formally engaged the CRPs as thought partners with lived and professional experience. This partnership recently produced a Mandated Reporting Reform effort aimed at reducing the number of unsubstantiated reports of abuse and neglect. The Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Committee of the State Child Welfare Council, in alignment with the recommendations of the California Citizen Review Panel, interviewed key stakeholders and held planning and listening sessions with a broad group of individuals who have proximity to the practice and impact of mandated reporting. The findings from these sessions, along with a report entitled A Paradigm Shift from Mandatory Reporting to Community Supporting, helped move the needle on the mandated reporter reform.

In March 2023, the California Child Welfare Council (CWC) unanimously approved a set of Community Pathway Recommendations with the following goals:

1. Mandated Reporting to Community Supporting – Reform the State’s mandated reporting system so children and families are safely supported in their communities.
2. Building a Community Pathway – Build strong and connected community supports that understand, connect to, and enhance the natural strengths of every family.

Achieving these two goals requires working side by side with individuals and families with lived experience and expertise to transform current mandated reporting practices and policies, build community support networks, and equip mandated reporters with tools and information to change their practices. The overarching goal is to inform and advance the work with those most impacted by the current system and those who have the greatest ability to change it.

I had the privilege of co-facilitating and conducting research for the Prevention Panel with our partners at the Child and Family Policy Institute of California (CFPIC). Using a data-informed lens as well as learning from child welfare experts aided the CRP Prevention Panel in becoming a key thought partner to the State in bringing about this change. The panel members will continue to keep the vision and voice of the CRP connected to this historic effort. This project is a great example of RDA’s ongoing partnership with the State and the ability to influence public policy.

To find out more about how RDA Consulting partners with government agencies, community-based organizations, and foundations, please contact us at letstalk@rdaconsulting.com.

Aditi Das