Paid Family Leave and Infant Maltreatment

• In Event: Economic Insecurity and CPS Involvement: Bidirectional Risks and Policy Levers

Abstract

Background & Significance

Infants under the age of 1 year experience maltreatment at a higher rate than other age groups. The demands of parenting and potential resource constraints make infancy a period of elevated stress for caregivers.  Policy strategies, such as paid family leave, have been proposed to support caregivers during the often stressful period of infancy.   

The US lacks a federal paid family leave policy.  While the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides job protections for some workers, the time away from work is not compensated.  Some states have enacted paid family leave policies to provide compensated time away from work for those who are caring for an infant or a family member.  A mounting body of research has linked state paid family leave policies to reductions in violence.  For example, paid family leave in California was associated with reductions in statewide hospital admissions for abusive head trauma compared to states without a paid family leave option.  A more recent study saw reductions in infant maltreatment in states with a paid family leave program compared to states without such a program.

Methods

Data for infant maltreatment was derived from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) from the years 2004 to 2020.  Infant maltreatment rates per 10,000 were constructed for each state.  Data regarding paid family leave was obtained from the National Partnership for Women and Families.

Using a staggered difference-in-differences (DD) model, we explored infant maltreatment rates in states that implemented paid family leave, to those that did not, before and after paid family leave was implemented.  Estimates accounted for the staggered paid family leave rollout across states (Callaway & Sant’Anna, 2021).

Results

State with paid family leave saw a reduction of infant child maltreatment reports of 8.32 cases per 10,000 (14% decrease).  In addition, there was a 5.5 case per 10,000 reduction in substantiations (22% decrease) and 3.71 case per 10,000 reduction in infant removals (46% decrease).

Discussion & Implications

Findings suggest that, compared to states without paid family leave, those with a paid family leave program experience reduced rates of child welfare reports, substantiations, and child removals for children under the age of 1 year.  These findings contribute additional support for the role of concrete and economic support policies as a strategy for the prevention of family violence.  Recommendations for future research will be discussed in the presentation.

Authors

• Jeffry Barton Klika, Florida State University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Eric Thibodeau, Prevent Child Abuse America
  Presenting Author