Parental alcohol use and the level of child protection response in Australia (2012-21)

To measure the association of harmful alcohol use by parents and primary caregivers with the level of child protection response.

This study was a multivariable logistic regression analysis using data drawn from the Victorian child protection database (2012-21) in Victoria, Australia. Focusing upon the most recent case per child, we analysed whether harmful parental alcohol use was probably associated with children's progression throughout the child protection system (from investigation phase, to substantiation, through to protective intervention, protection application and protection orders), while adjusting for socio-demographic variables. The participants comprised 352 800 children [48.5% female, 50.0% male, 1.6% other/unknown; mean age = 8.1 (0-18 years)] with one or more reports (mean = 1.4) in the child protection system.

Child protection workers reported on two risk factor variables indicating parental alcohol use during an intake risk assessment: 'alcohol abuse' and 'alcohol use compromises child's safety'.

Of the 95 592 child cases investigated between 2012 and 2021, 50 476 were substantiated. Probable parental alcohol use was reported as a risk factor in 5.1% of children investigated and substantiated in 9.1% of children. The odds of progressing to investigation [odds ratio (OR) = 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.59, 1.69, P < 0.001], substantiation (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.91, 2.13, P < 0.001), protective intervention (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.23, 1.59, P < 0.001), protection application (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.25, P < 0.001) and protection order (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.34, P = 0.028) were statistically significantly higher for children experiencing probable parental harmful alcohol use. However, the associations for protection application and protection order were not statistically significant after accounting for variables related to family accommodation, income and composition.

In Victoria, Australia, in cases where child protection workers document parental alcohol use, those children are more likely to progress through the Victorian child protection system than children whose parents have no documented alcohol use.