Effects of the Child Protection System on Parents

Abstract

Child protective services investigate a third of child-homes for maltreatment, yet repercussions for parents remain unclear. I show that mothers face considerable adversity when referred for alleged child maltreatment. Using a novel strategy that combines event studies with variation in intervention tendency across investigators, I find that child protective services interventions increase mothers’ enrollment in mental health and substance abuse treatment services for a year, even when those services are not mandated. Earnings and employment are unaffected. Marginal interventions can lead to persistent involvement with social services for years.