The Relationship Between Child Welfare Service Receipt and Adult and Child Outcomes: Evidence From the Regional...

Caregiver substance use is a leading risk factor for child maltreatment and removal from the home. To address this risk, since 2006, Congress has authorized funding for the Regional Partnership Grants (RPG) program. RPG supports partnerships between child welfare agencies, substance use treatment providers, and other social service systems to improve outcomes for children in or at risk of out-of-home placement due to a caregiver's substance use. Although research has demonstrated RPG's effectiveness in improving families' outcomes, less is known about what makes this program effective. This paper uses data collected from over 2,500 families and linear regression models to examine how specific features of RPG service receipt-including the types of services and how much of each service families receive-are associated with a range of outcomes for adults and children. We found that completing services, attending more service contacts, and receiving more services from a peer recovery support specialist were favorably associated with several outcomes. In contrast, the associations between the types of services families received and their outcomes were mixed. These findings inform efforts by child welfare agencies, substance use treatment providers, and others to structure services in ways that are most likely to benefit families.