The data in this chart are from the same calendar year and provide an overview of the relative frequency of child-welfare safety decisions. Children are counted once at each level of involvement (unduplicated counts). This is not a cohort analysis. A child counted at one level of child-welfare involvement (e.g., Entries) is not necessarily counted at the preceding level (e.g., Substantiations). A child's entry to foster care in early 2023--counted in Jan-Dec 2023 Entries--might be based on a 2022 substantiation, not included in Jan-Dec 2023 Substantiations.
Changes in Education and Legal/Law Enforcement are highlighted. Public health restrictions associated with COVID-19 began approximately March 2020.
Steady, long-term trends are highlighted:
decrease in the proportion of the disposition type Unfounded;
increases in the disposition types Inconclusive and Assessment Only/Evaluated Out.