PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Grimon, Marie-Pascale
TI  - Effects of the Child Protection System on Parents
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.0424-13537R2
DP  - 2026 Apr 08
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 0424-13537R2
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2026/04/01/jhr.0424-13537R2.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2026/04/01/jhr.0424-13537R2.full
AB  - 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.