The goal of the proposed project is to explore and pilot options for the creation of an ongoing monitoring system for incidents of child maltreatment (CM) in youth serving organizations (YSO)

The University of New Hampshire (UNH), through its Office of Sponsored Research, has been awarded a 5-year, $1,497,815 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice under the NIJ Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants program (CFDA 16.560). The project aims to explore and pilot options for an ongoing monitoring system to track incidents of child maltreatment in youth-serving organizations.

Phase 1 of the project (Years 1-2) will involve a comprehensive review and assessment of existing child maltreatment surveillance systems, related data systems, and the legal framework for reporting. In Phase 2 (Years 3-5), UNH will conduct several pilot and feasibility studies, potentially including telephone surveys with state child protective services experts, analysis of police agency records data, and surveys with youth-serving organizations. The findings from these phases will inform the development of a final report to help establish a federal monitoring system for child maltreatment incidents in youth-serving settings.

This 5-year study will be conducted across two study phases: phase 1 will involve a design option inventory phase and phase 2 will involve a pilot testing and implementation planning phase. Throughout the study, the research team will engage and consult with experts and stakeholders including surveillance experts, data system managers, YSO sector representatives, who will assist throughout the project across design tasks as part of an expert advisory group (EAG). Phase 1 (study years 1 and 2) will involve with a detailed review and assessment of existing CM surveillance systems, related systems, and the legal framework for reporting CM. In phase 2 (study years 3-5), several pilot and feasibility studies will be conducted to provide additional information to inform surveillance implementation. The focus and methodology for the phase 2 pilot studies will be determined based on phase 1 outcomes, however, the framework for three possible pilots include: 1) telephone surveys with state-level CPS data system experts (N=52); 2) work with 10-15 police agencies analyzing records data; and 3) surveys with a sample of approximately 100 ysos on the number and characteristics of CM cases seen in a specified period of time. Based on phase 1 and 2 components, a final report will be prepared and shared with governmental agencies whose participation and sponsorship are critical for the establishment of a federal YSO CM monitoring system. CA/NCF