A new study co-authored by Rick Barth and PhD graduate Yanfeng Xu examines 25 years of changing child welfare service needs, highlighting growing demand for mental health and substance use support as housing and legal service needs decline.
Rick Barth and PhD graduate Yanfeng Xu, alongside co-author Olivia D. Chang, examine how child welfare service needs in the United States have changed over 25 years in a new article, “Understanding Changes in Child Welfare Service Needs in the United States: A Quarter-Century Perspective”, published in Child Maltreatment. The study identifies declining housing and legal service needs alongside rising mental health and substance use service needs, highlighting the importance of adapting support to families’ changing circumstances.
Read the full article to explore the findings and their implications for child welfare services.