Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment: 

Findings from NCANDS 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 

July, 2005 
This report is the second in a series of three reports, based on the Secondary Analysis On Child Abuse and 

Neglect Topics of Current Policy Interest, which was conducted by Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc. 

(WRMA), under contract number 233-02-0093, task order 5, for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Analyses are based on 2002 data

from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), maintained by WRMA under 

contract with the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services (contract HHSSP233200400052U). The opinions expressed in this paper are 

those of the authors and do not necessarily represent positions of the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services. 

This issue paper was prepared by Gila R. Shusterman, Dana Hollinshead, John D. Fluke, and Ying-Ying T. 

Yuan of Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc. (WRMA). Editorial and technical assistance was provided 

by Anja Maguire and Kristen Stafford. 

 

For further information contact the Secondary Analysis on Child Abuse and Neglect Topics of Current

Policy Interest Federal Project Officer at the following address: 

 

Laura Radel, M.P.P. 

Senior Social Science Analyst 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 450-G 

Washington, DC 20201 

202-690-5938 

laura.radel@hhs.gov 

This publication also is available on the Internet at: http://aspe.hhs.gov.

Material contained in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced, fully or partially, 

without permission of the Federal Government. The courtesy of attribution is requested. The recommended 

citation follows: 

Shusterman, G.R., Hollinshead, D., Fluke, J.D., & Yuan, Y.T. Alternative responses to child maltreatment: 

Findings from NCANDS (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 2005). 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment iii 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table of Contents 

Executive Summary vii

Introduction 1

Methodology 8

Key Findings 10

Implications 20

References 22

Appendix A. Case Study of Alternative Response System: Kentucky 24

Appendix B. Case Study of Alternative Response System: Minnesota 30

Appendix C. Case Study of Alternative Response System: Missouri 37

Appendix D. Case Study of Alternative Response System: New Jersey 43

Appendix E. Case Study of Alternative Response System: Oklahoma 50

Appendix F. Case Study of Alternative Response System: Wyoming 56
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment iv 

Findings from NCANDS 

List of Tables and Figures 

Tables 

Table 1 State Policies for Alternative Response 12

Table A–1 Age of Child by Response, Kentucky 27

Table A–2 Race of Child by Response, Kentucky 27

Table A–3 Sex of Child by Response, Kentucky 27

Table A–4 Prior Victimization of Child by Response, Kentucky 28

Table A–5 Report Source by Response, Kentucky 28

Table A–6 Number of Children in Report by Response, Kentucky 28

Table A–7 Maltreatment Type by Response, Kentucky 29

Table A–8 Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Kentucky 29

Table A–9 Family Violence by Response, Kentucky 29

Table A–10 Services Provided by Response, Kentucky 29

Table B–1 Age of Child by Response, Minnesota 33

Table B–2 Race of Child by Response, Minnesota 33

Table B–3 Sex of Child by Response, Minnesota 34

Table B–4 Prior Victimization of Child by Response, Minnesota 34

Table B–5 Report Source by Response, Minnesota 34

Table B–6 Living Arrangement of Child by Response, Minnesota 35

Table B–7 Number of Children in Report by Response, Minnesota 35

Table B–8 Maltreatment Type by Response, Minnesota 35

Table B–9 Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Minnesota 36

Table B–10 Family Violence by Response, Minnesota 36

Table B–11 Services Provided by Response, Minnesota 36

Table C–1 Age of Child by Response, Missouri 40

Table C–2 Race of Child by Response, Missouri 40

Table C–3 Sex of Child by Response, Missouri 40

Table C–4 Prior Victimization of Child by Response, Missouri 41

Table C–5 Report Source by Response, Missouri 41

Table C–6 Number of Children in Report by Response, Missouri 41

Table C–7 Maltreatment Type by Response, Missouri 42

Table C–8 Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Missouri 42

Table C–9 Family Violence by Response, Missouri 42

Table C–10 Services Provided by Response, Missouri 42

Table D–1 Age of Child by Response, New Jersey 46

Table D–2 Race of Child by Response, New Jersey 46
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment v 

Findings from NCANDS 

List of Tables and Figures (continued) 

Tables 

Table D–3 Sex of Child by Response, New Jersey 47

Table D–4 Prior Victimization of Child by Response, New Jersey 47

Table D–5 Report Source by Response, New Jersey 47

Table D–6 Living Arrangement of Child by Response, New Jersey 48

Table D–7 Number of Children in Report by Response, New Jersey 48

Table D–8 Maltreatment Type by Response, New Jersey 48

Table D–9 Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, New Jersey 49

Table D–10 Family Violence by Response, New Jersey 49

Table D–11 Services Provided by Response, New Jersey 49

Table E–1 Age of Child by Response, Oklahoma 53

Table E–2 Race of Child by Response, Oklahoma 53

Table E–3 Sex of Child by Response, Oklahoma 53

Table E–4 Prior Victimization of Child by Response, Oklahoma 54

Table E–5 Report Source by Response, Oklahoma 54

Table E–6 Number of Children in Report by Response, Oklahoma 54

Table E–7 Maltreatment Type by Response, Oklahoma 55

Table E–8 Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Oklahoma 55

Table E–9 Services Provided by Response, Oklahoma 55

Table F–1 Age of Child by Response, Wyoming 59

Table F–2 Race of Child by Response, Wyoming 59

Table F–3 Sex of Child by Response, Wyoming 59

Table F–4 Report Source by Response, Wyoming 60

Table F–5 Living Arrangement of Child by Response, Wyoming 60

Table F–6 Number of Children in Report by Response, Wyoming 60

Table F–7 Maltreatment Type by Response, Wyoming 61

Table F–8 Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Wyoming 61

Table F–9 Family Violence by Response, Wyoming 61

Table F–10 Services Provided by Response, Wyoming 61
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment vi 

Findings from NCANDS 

List of Tables and Figures (continued) 

Figures 

Figure 1 Children in Maltreatment Reports by State, 2002 11

Figure 2 Trends in Alternative Response and Investigation, 1998–2002 14

Figure 3 Percentage of Children Referred to Alternative Response, by Age, 2002 15

Figure 4 Percentage of Children Referred to Alternative Response, 

by Report Source, 2002 

17

Figure 5 Percentage of Children Referred to Alternative Response, 

by Maltreatment Type, 2002 

18

Figure 6 Percentage of Children Referred to Alternative Response, 

by Number of Children in the Report, 2002 

19

Figure A–1 Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Kentucky 25

Figure A–2 Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Kentucky 26

Figure B–1 Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Minnesota 31

Figure B–2 Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Minnesota 32

Figure C–1 Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Missouri 38

Figure C–2 Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Missouri 39

Figure D–1 Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, New Jersey 44

Figure D–2 Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, New 

Jersey 

45

Figure E–1 Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Oklahoma 51

Figure E–2 Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Oklahoma 52

Figure F–1 Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Wyoming 57

Figure F–2 Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Wyoming 58
ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES TO CHILD MALTREATMENT: 

FINDINGS FROM NCANDS

Executive Summary 

hild protective services (CPS) agencies face a large volume of reports, 

increasingly complex cases, and strained resources. Because of their belief that 

many CPS reports do not require a traditional investigative response, some States 

have developed practices and policies to differentiate how cases are handled. Generally, 

investigations are aimed at determining whether the child maltreatment actually occurred, 

or if the child is at risk for maltreatment, and putting in place an appropriate intervention. 

In contrast, alternative responses emphasize the assessment of the family’s needs and the 

prevention of future maltreatment, with less attention given to making a formal 

determination of maltreatment. 

C 

Alternative response has been defined as “a formal response of the agency that assesses 

the needs of the child or family without requiring a determination that maltreatment has 

occurred or that the child is at risk of maltreatment.” (U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services, 2003a). State policies on alternative response vary, although typically 

families are approached as a unit, and given options about services and assistance, with a 

focus on the well-being of the entire family. Although not universally true for all States, 

the service philosophy is to build on the family’s strengths, while ensuring that needs for 

children’s safety are being met. 

This research examined case-level data reported to the National Child Abuse and Neglect 

Data System (NCANDS) by six States—Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey,

Oklahoma, and Wyoming—that offered both alternative response and traditional 

investigation. Case characteristics, circumstances of reports, and outcomes were 

examined for 313,838 children of whom 140,072 received an alternative response during 

2002. 

Some similarities across States were also found, in that alternative response was more

likely to be used in certain situations, such as: 

• When reports were from nonprofessionals and school sources , rather than from

social workers, medical personnel, or legal or criminal justice sources; 

• For cases with less pressing safety concerns; and 

• For reports that did not include allegations of sexual abuse. 

However, in some ways, States differed widely in their use of alternative response, such 

as: 

• The proportion of reports that were referred to alternative response; 

• The extent to which the existence of an alternative response option has resulted in 

fewer investigations; and 

• The types of maltreatment for which alternative response was used. 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment vii 

Findings from NCANDS 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment viii 

Findings from NCANDS 

Overall, the findings from the included States indicate that the use of alternative response 

was either increasing or stable over time, possibly reflecting States at different stages of 

implementation. It also appears that though children who had been previously referred to 

alternative response do experience subsequent reports and responses by CPS, they are not 

generally at any greater risk for subsequent reports than those who received an 

investigation. Furthermore, they are not at greater risk for subsequent victimization. 

While alternative response systems differ across States, they all seem to reflect their 

intention—to serve children and families who present less immediate safety concerns. 
INTRODUCTION 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 1

Findings from NCANDS 

any child protective services (CPS) agencies face a large volume of CPS 

reports, increasingly complex cases, and strained resources. Moreover, there is 

a growing recognition that many CPS cases do not require a traditional 

investigative response. Thus, many States have developed practices and policies to 

differentiate how particular types of cases are handled (U.S. Government Accounting 

Office, 1997). Referred to as alternative response, differential response, dual track, or 

family assessment, these efforts at system reform promote new practices that affect how 

certain reports of maltreatment are handled. Generally, investigation responses involve a 

more forensic approach and include processes for determining if a child is at risk of child 

maltreatment or if child maltreatment occurred. Alternative responses are characterized 

by an emphasis on an assessment of the needs of families and children with less emphasis 

on determining if the maltreatment occurred (U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, 2003a). 

M 

The intent of the analyses presented below is to examine case-level data reported in 2002 

to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) by six States that 

offered both alternative response and traditional investigation as part of their child 

welfare services. After reviewing previous research on alternative response, this report 

describes the methodology of, and findings from, this analysis. Case characteristics, 

circumstances of reports, and outcomes for children who received an alternative response 

are presented. Finally, emerging trends, similarities, and differences across States that are 

implementing alternative response systems are discussed. 

Previous Research 

A review of the literature suggests that most studies conducted to date have focused on 

single States and did not systematically report on all the factors considered in this study 

regarding the provision of alternative response services. 

System Structure and Functions 

According to the National Study of Child Protective Services Systems and Reform Efforts

(CPS Reform Study)—a survey conducted of a nationally representative sample of 300 

county child protective services agencies—a majority (64%) of local agencies employed 

alternative response practices in addition to the traditional investigative response (U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services, 2003a). Still, a separate review of policies as 

part of the same study noted that while 20 States had identifiable alternative response 

policies, only 11 had implemented the approach statewide (U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, 2003b). Further, the implementation of alternative response 

systems was neither uniform across all States (Virginia Department of Social Services, 

2004; Loman & Siegel, 2004a; Loman & Siegel, 2004b) nor necessarily dependent on the 

existence of State-level policies defining the practice (U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services, 2003a; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003b). 

The CPS Reform Study and other State-specific studies suggested that investigation 

responses were employed when more serious types of maltreatment were alleged, and 

that alternative response was utilized when children were at risk of maltreatment, or when 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 2 

Findings from NCANDS 

it was believed that the presenting issues could be addressed without needing an 

investigation (Siegel & Loman, 2000; Loman & Siegel, 2004a; Virginia Department of 

Social Services 2004; Center for Child and Family Policy, 2004; Chipley, Sheets, 

Baumann, Robinson, & Graham, 1999; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 

2003a; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003b). Generally, cases were 

assigned to the alternative response track when factors suggested that the child was at 

lower risk of harm or that the family would benefit from community-based services. If a 

case was assigned to the alternative response track but circumstances arose that suggested 

investigation was warranted, it could then be redirected for an investigation response. 

Severe physical abuse and sexual abuse cases were typically handled using the 

investigation approach (see U.S. General Accounting Office, 1997; Loman & Siegel, 

2004a; Loman & Siegel, 2004b; Center for Child and Family Policy, 2004). 

The CPS Reform Study found many similarities across the States in the activities 

performed by each track. Most commonly, both approaches involved a review of CPS 

records and interviews or formal observations of the child and family. The study also 

found that the same professional resources or service providers were available to 

investigation or alternative response cases. However, reports handled by the alternative 

response were less likely to include an assessment of a family’s safety needs, a 

determination of child maltreatment, a recommendation for court action, or the removal 

of a child from the home. Moreover, most agencies (81%) closed alternative response 

reports with no further action if the time frame for response elapsed, but 84 percent 

would not close an investigation if the response timeframe for completion had been 

exceeded (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003a). An increased 

emphasis on use of community-based services to augment CPS agency efforts—during 

investigations but more often with alternative response assessments—was consistent with 

an enhanced recognition that CPS agencies alone do not have the resources or the local 

support network to mediate the impact or prevent all child abuse or neglect effectively 

(U.S. General Accounting Office, 1997; Farrow, 1997; Waldfogel, 1998). 

Still, purposes for alternative response systems vary. From the 20 States identified as 

having alternative response systems in the CPS Reform Study, three key purposes for the 

system were identified. States identified child safety (55%), family preservation or 

strengthening (45%), or prevention of child abuse and neglect (20%) as the reason for the 

alternative response approach. Most of these States (70%) explicitly noted that 

community agencies were responsible for conducting the assessments (U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services, 2003b). 

Alternative response systems differ not only in approach but also in the possible action 

outcomes following an assessment. In the CPS Reform Study’s review of State policies, 

the majority of those States with alternative response policies allowed the options of no 

further action, referral to voluntary services, or returning a case to an investigation unit. 

Nearly one-half (40%) of the alternative response States allowed petitioning the court for 

mandatory services. The same percentage of States (40%) also allowed the response to be 

closed without completion of all activities. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 3 

Findings from NCANDS 

While these findings represent considerable variation in implementation, as the study 

noted, the formalization of the alternative response approach is still relatively new. As 

time progresses, State policies may either converge or diverge, in part due to local needs 

and resources (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003b). 

Outcomes of Alternative Response Evaluations 

To date, few studies have examined outcomes of alternative response systems, and those 

few have focused on an individual State’s system. Since most systems are relatively new, 

much of the data reflect evaluations of outcomes early in the implementation phase of the 

systems (Center for Child and Family Policy, 2004; Loman & Siegel, 2004b; Virginia 

Department of Social Services, 2004). Nevertheless, some systems have been 

implemented long enough to produce more comprehensive outcome evaluations (English, 

Wingard, Marshall, Orme & Orme, 2000; Loman & Siegel, 2004a). 

Most States identify which types of cases must be investigated instead of assessed; 

however, varying degrees of discretion are granted to workers who must decide which 

cases are assigned to the assessment track across the States (Virginia Department of 

Social Services, 2004; Loman & Siegel, 2004a; Loman & Siegel, 2004b). Despite this, a 

review of the findings from studies of pilots and fully implemented alternative response 

systems suggests that certain trends in characteristics and outcomes of children and 

families referred to alternative response are emerging. 

Impact on the System 

Studies suggest that the percentage of reports diverted to alternative response systems 

ranged from 42 percent to 71 percent (Siegel & Loman, 2000; Loman & Siegel, 2004a; 

Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004; Center for Child and Family Policy, 2004; 

Chipley et al., 1999), but these rates may vary among local offices in a State (Loman & 

Siegel, 2004a; Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004). With the introduction of 

alternative response, many States or pilot areas have noted an increase in the proportion 

of investigations that are substantiated (Loman & Siegel, 2004a; Virginia Department of 

Social Services, 2004). For example, in Virginia the number of investigations and 

founded investigations decreased with the introduction of the assessment track; however, 

founded investigations increased from 23 percent (during 2 baseline years) to 36 percent 

in State Fiscal Year 2004 (Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004). The reasons 

for increased substantiations appear to reflect the policy intention for alternative response 

that more serious cases comprise a larger portion of those investigated or that in some 

States a case must be opened to receive services. 

Child and Family Characteristics 

Surprisingly little has been published regarding the demographics of the children 

assigned to alternative response, other than their age. Some emerging trends suggest that 

younger children are more likely to receive traditional investigations rather than 

alternative response. An early evaluation of the Missouri system during its pilot phase 

revealed that children under 6-years old who experienced physical abuse were more 

likely to be referred for investigation (Siegel & Loman, 2000). An evaluation of the 

alternative response system in Texas found that families with older children were more 

likely to be referred for alternative response and that hotline staff reported a greater 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 4 

Findings from NCANDS 

propensity to assign cases with younger children to an investigation track (Chipley et al., 

2004). Similarly, English et al. (2000) noted that children age 5 years old or younger 

were less likely to be referred to Washington State’s alternative response system as 

opposed to the investigative response system. English et al., (2000) also noted that the 

gender and ethnic composition of the alternative response families was comparable to the 

traditional response families. 

The Missouri evaluation (Siegel & Loman, 2000) noted little difference in the case 

characteristics and demographics of those children and families who experienced 

traditional investigations versus those who received family assessments. Specifically, no 

significant differences were found between cases with respect to factors such as a prior 

contact with CPS, the type of maltreatment, the report source, race, a history of foster 

care placement, the identity of the perpetrator (most often a parent), family structure 

(single female parents predominated), parental unemployment, or the size of family. 

Report Source 

To date, few published studies have examined the relationship between identity of the 

maltreatment reporter and the track to which a report is assigned (see Siegel & Loman, 

2000; Loman & Siegel, 2004a; Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004; Center for 

Child and Family Policy, 2004; Chipley et al., 1999). A study of the Texas alternative 

response system identified a mandate to investigate reports from law enforcement 

(Chipley et al., 1999). English et al. (2000) found that although professional and 

community referents referred cases equally to CPS, none of the alternative response cases 

had been referred by law enforcement or medical personnel. The children and families 

served by alternative response were most likely to have been reported by social service 

professionals and educators. 

 

Type of Maltreatment 

Studies of individual States suggest that assignment to the alternative response track 

varies according to the type of maltreatment alleged. In Virginia, 72 percent of emotional 

abuse reports, 67 percent of neglect reports, 62 percent of medical neglect reports, and 

61 percent of physical abuse reports were assigned to the assessment track. Investigations 

were mandated for sexual abuse reports, thus 98 percent of sexual abuse reports were 

investigated. Researchers also found that reports alleging multiple types of maltreatment 

were more likely to be investigated than assessed and the likelihood of investigation 

increased as the number of types of maltreatments increased (Virginia Department of 

Social Services, 2004). 

In comparison, according to a pilot study of the Texas alternative response system, 

40 percent of emotional abuse, 53 percent of medical neglect, 72 percent of neglectful 

supervision, 50 percent of physical abuse, 79 percent of physical neglect, and 54 percent 

of sexual abuse reports were assigned to the alternative response (Chipley et al., 1999). In 

Missouri, cases involving failure to supply basic needs, parent-child conflict, or less 

severe sexual abuse were more likely to be served by alternative response (Loman & 

Siegel, 2004a). Although English et al., (2000) did not report differences in the likelihood 

of being assigned to alternative response based on the type of maltreatment alleged, they 

analyzed maltreatment types by severity levels and identified that a notable portion of 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 5 

Findings from NCANDS 

referrals with moderate severity ratings were assigned to alternative response, as were a 

small number of sexual abuse referrals. 

Services 

Some studies have demonstrated that families in the assessment track are more likely to 

receive services in addition to case management than are families in the investigation 

track (Loman & Siegel, 2004a; Loman & Siegel, 2004b). For example, 54 percent of 

assessment track families in Minnesota received services other than case management, 

compared with 36 percent of investigation track families. Moreover, the number of 

services received by assessment track families exceeded that of investigation track 

families (Loman & Siegel, 2004b). Similarly, assessment cases in Missouri received 

more services compared to investigation track cases and the service recipients from the 

assessment track represented a broader array of families, including a larger proportion of 

low-risk families with no immediate threats to child safety (Loman & Siegel, 2004a). 

The types of services may differ between assessment and investigation track children and 

families. For example, the Minnesota study noted that assessment track families who 

received services were poorer and received more assistance meeting basic needs (food, 

clothing, home repairs, utilities payments, and employment assistance) than the 

investigation families who received services. Similarly, in Missouri, a large proportion of 

the services offered to the assessment track families were targeted at meeting basic needs 

such as food, clothing, housing, or medical care assistance (Loman & Siegel, 2004a). 

However, a Virginia study suggests that the likelihood of receiving services may depend 

on the type of maltreatment alleged (Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004). 

Although the study identified 32 percent of cases that were assigned to the assessment 

track as needing services, this figure varied according to the maltreatment alleged. 

Information regarding the percent of investigation cases needing services was not 

provided. Still, researchers reported that assessment track families with identified needs 

were equally or more likely to receive services than were families involved in 

investigations. 

With respect to the type of maltreatment alleged, family assessments of emotional abuse 

in Virginia were most likely to be identified as in need of services (44%), followed by 

physical abuse (39%), medical neglect (35%), and physical neglect (28%). Services most 

frequently identified as needed were counseling, parent education, and substance abuse 

evaluation or treatment. However, authors of the study cautioned that this list may better 

reflect available services than needed services. The authors hypothesized that this was 

possibly the result of the improved ability to engage families through use of the 

assessment track’s less adversarial approach. That said, the Virginia study noted that 

workers may be less likely to identify needed services if they know the services are not 

available in the area, even though they are able to note the problem when they record the 

service needs (Virginia Department of Social Services, 1999; Virginia Department of 

Social Services, 2004). 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 6 

Findings from NCANDS 

In addition, the timing of the service delivery may differ according to the track to which a 

case is assigned and may impact outcomes. Family assessment cases in Missouri received 

services earlier than those cases handled with traditional investigations (Loman & Siegel, 

2004a). The Minnesota study found that early provision of services in these cases was 

shown to be effective in improving children’s safety and preventing further maltreatment 

(Loman & Siegel, 2004b). 

Placement 

In assessing foster care placement rates, studies varied regarding the length of time 

children were followed, thus making a comparison of rates difficult. For example, the 

Virginia study found that 12 percent of substantiated investigations resulted in foster care 

placement compared to only 2 percent of assessment cases over a 90-day followup period 

(Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004). The Texas study found 2.8 percent of 

investigations and 0.1 percent of assessments resulted in substitute care placement at the 

time of the assessment or investigation (Chipley et al., 1999). The Minnesota evaluation 

also showed that families assigned to the alternative response track were less likely to 

have a child subsequently placed than comparable families assigned to the traditional 

investigation track (Loman & Siegel, 2004b). 

In contrast, the Missouri study found that during 5 years of followup, children who 

experienced the family assessment track were subsequently placed in out-of-home care 

more frequently than were children whose families experienced the investigation track 

(28% vs. 25%, respectively). The difference was more pronounced for those families 

originally identified as exhibiting fewer risk factors. Further analysis revealed that the 

demonstration families—who were more likely to experience an out-of-home 

placement—were those with no prior history of placement and whose families were 

composed only of teenage children at the time of the original report (Loman & Siegel, 

2004a). 

Rereports and Recurrence 

A salient concern with the advent and expansion of alternative response systems is 

whether or not they might compromise child safety. Comparisons of relative rates of 

rereporting and recurrence of alternative response to investigation have been done to 

assess this concern. While in some studies the differences are marginal, overall findings 

from studies to date suggest that child safety is not compromised by alternative response 

and that children involved in alternative response systems are less likely to experience a 

subsequent report or investigation (Chipley et al., 1999; English et al., 2000; Loman & 

Siegel, 2004a; Loman & Siegel, 2004b; Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004; 

Center for Child and Family Policy, 2004). In part it may be that these children have 

already been identified as being at lower risk of maltreatment (Chipley et al., 1999; 

Loman & Siegel, 2004a; Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004; Center for Child 

and Family Policy, 2004). However, a recent report of an experimental study conducted 

in Minnesota suggests that when comparable families were randomly assigned to receive 

assessment or investigation, the assessment cases were still less likely (27%) than were 

the investigation cases (30%) to be rereported to the child welfare system (Loman & 

Siegel, 2004b). 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 7 

Findings from NCANDS 

 

In addition, one study found that alternative response families were less likely to be 

rereported for lack of supervision and proper parenting, severe physical abuse, and 

educational neglect (Loman & Siegel, 2004a), than were the comparison group of 

families who were investigated. This finding suggests that the opportunity to provide 

services during the alternative response facilitated more successful amelioration of these 

specific problems. Another study found that families with no prior history of CPS contact 

were less likely to be rereported if they had experienced the alternative response (Loman 

& Siegel, 2004b). Finally, the Texas study noted that of those children who were 

rereported, a larger proportion of assessment track children were reported for neglect and 

a smaller proportion for abuse than children who received a traditional investigation 

(Chipley et al., 1999). 

The Objective of this Study 

The objective of this study was to compare the children in each State who were referred 

to alternative response systems with those referred to traditional investigations. 

Comparisons were made in terms of response characteristics, the circumstances of their 

reported maltreatment, and their subsequent reports and dispositions. 

The key research questions for this study were the following: 

1. What are the characteristics of children who received an alternative response? 

Reported children were compared on whether they received an alternative response or 

an investigation response, based on the following demographic characteristics:

• Age of child; 

• Sex of child; 

• Race of child; and 

• Whether the child had been previously victimized.1

2. How are the circumstances of the reported maltreatment related to the chances 

that a child receives an alternative response or an investigation response? 

Reported children were compared on whether they received an alternative response or 

an investigation response, based on different circumstances of the reported 

maltreatment. Circumstances of the reported maltreatment that were considered 

included: 

• The source of report: 

• The number of children; 

• The living arrangement of children; 

• The type of maltreatment; 

• Domestic violence in the home; and 

• Caretaker drug and alcohol abuse. 

1

 The NCANDS data includes a field that indicates whether a child has previously been a victim of child 

maltreatment. There is no indication, however, whether a child has previously been included in a report of 

maltreatment, though not found to be a victim. When working with a single year of data it is not possible to 

identify children who may have been reported during previous years, but not victimized. 
3. How do outcomes differ between children who receive an alternative 

response and children who receive an investigation response? 

Children who received an alternative response and those who received an 

investigation response were compared on the variables below related to the 

outcomes following the reported maltreatment: 

• The services provided; 

• Placement in foster care; and 

• Any subsequent reports and dispositions within a fixed 6-month followup 

period (for reports between January and June, only). 

Methodology 

ase-level data from the 2002 NCANDS Child File were used as the basis for the 

analysis. These case-level data are submitted on a voluntary basis in a common 

record format to the Federal Government by State CPS agencies. The submissions 

are a rich source of information about children who are the subjects of child maltreatment 

investigations, including data about the investigations, child demographics, types of 

maltreatment, and services. Each year the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services prepares an annual report that analyzes the NCANDS data. For calendar year 

2002, Child File data submissions from 42 States—containing case-specific information 

on nearly 3 million reported children—were submitted to NCANDS. 

C 

Data Construction 

Data from six States—Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey,2

 Oklahoma, and 

Wyoming—including 313,838 reported children, were used to create the data set for this 

research. These States were chosen because case-level data, including alternative 

response dispositions, were provided in sufficient numbers.3

 

The NCANDS Child Files from each State were used to create the data set. These files 

contain a record for each child in a report alleging child maltreatment. This is referred to 

as a report-child pair, indicating that a child is counted each time he or she is the subject 

of a maltreatment report that is investigated or assessed. 

Several new variables were derived, and some were recoded into categorical variables, 

including: 

• Response Type—The report disposition was used to create a new variable, called 

response type. Reports with dispositions of substantiated, indicated, 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 8

Findings from NCANDS 

 

2 In New Jersey all alternative response-nonvictim reports were concerned with family problems such as

homelessness, domestic violence, child or parent substance abuse, or parenting issues that pose a risk to the

child. The majority of these cases only received a child welfare assessment. In instances where there was a 

family problem and an alleged maltreatment, an investigation was conducted, but if the allegations were not

substantiated, these cases were considered to be family problem cases and were reported to NCANDS with 

an alternative response—nonvictim disposition. 3

 Louisiana and Ohio were excluded because less than 1 percent of dispositions in 2002 were alternative 

response. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 9 

Findings from NCANDS 

 

unsubstantiated, or closed with no finding were coded as investigation response. 

Dispositions of alternative response—victim and alternative response—nonvictim 

were coded as alternative response. All other dispositions were coded as other 

response; these cases were later excluded from analyses.4

• Maltreatment Type—For each report-child pair, up to four maltreatment types can 

be reported in the Child File. These were recoded to mutually exclusive 

categories: physical abuse only, neglect or medical neglect only, sexual abuse 

only, emotional or other abuse only, and multiple maltreatment. 

• Age of Victims—The age of victims was recoded into categories. The categories 

for age were: younger than age 1, age 1–3, age 4–7, age 8–11, age 12–15, and age 

16 or older. 

• Services—The Child File includes data on what services were provided.5

 All of 

these services were combined into in-home services. Foster care was considered 

and analyzed separately. 

The final data set was composed of 313,838 children in 6 States.6

 Because of the major 

differences as noted above in the literature review in State policy and implementation, 

and the level of use of alternative response as reported to NCANDS, data from each State 

were each analyzed separately. 

Data Analyses 

For each of the variables pertaining to characteristics of the reported children, reports, 

and maltreatments, children in each category were compared on how many received 

alternative response and how many received traditional investigations. For example, the 

percentage of boys who received an alternative response was compared with the 

percentage of girls who received an alternative response. 

For analyses of outcome variables such as service provision and placement in foster care, 

comparisons were made between children who received an alternative response and 

children who received investigations. For example, the percentage of children who 

received an alternative response whose families received in-home services was compared 

with the percentage of children who received an investigation whose families received inhome services. 

4

 These other dispositions included unsubstantiated due to intentionally false reporting, other, and unknown 

or missing. 

5

 These services include: post investigation services; family support services; family preservation services; 

adoption services; case management; counseling services; child daycare services; educational and training 

services; employment services; family planning services; health-related and home health services; homebased services; housing services; independent and transitional living services; information and referral 

services; legal services; mental health services; pregnancy and parenting services for young parents; respite 

care services; special services—disabled; special services—juvenile delinquent; substance abuse services; 

transportation services; and other services.

6

 Nine children with unknown dispositions were excluded. 
For analyses of subsequent CPS responses, comparisons were made among children who 

received an alternative response and those who received an investigation as their first 

response during the reporting period. For these analyses, only children whose first 

response from the CPS system of the reporting year was during the first 6 months of the 

year were included.7

 Additionally, children who received an investigation and were found 

to be victims were analyzed separately from children who received an investigation and 

found not to be victims. These analyses included only children who received a response 

of some kind from CPS; those who were reported but screened out at intake, were 

considered not to have received a response. 

For analyses of trends in CPS response in each State, the overall number of children in 

maltreatment reports was compared for each year between 1998 and 2002. These 

analyses examined the percentage of children who were found to be victims following an 

investigation, the percentage who were investigated but found not to be victims, the 

percentage with an alternative response, and the percentage with any other dispositions. 

Data from 1998 through 2000 were obtained from State submissions using the Summary 

Data Component, in which data were provided in aggregate form. 

Interpretation of NCANDS Data on CPS Response 

The designation of a reported child as having received an alternative response occurs 

within the disposition field in the NCANDS. Alternative response, however, is not a 

disposition; it is a response. When a report comes in, a case worker or supervisor

determines whether the case will be handled in the traditional investigation track (called 

investigation in most States) or if it will be given an alternative response. Thus, 

alternative responses are most often separated out at an early stage. The only field in the 

NCANDS that captures the referral to alternative response is in the “disposition” field.

Occasionally, children and families are transferred back from the alternative response 

track to the investigation track and receive a disposition from within that track. This is

unlikely to be indicated anywhere in the administrative record of the response process 

and would not be captured by NCANDS (in this instance the disposition would just 

reflect the results of the investigation and would be substantiated, indicated, or 

unsubstantiated). The original referral of such a case to the alternative response track 

would not be captured by these data. 

Key Findings 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 10

Findings from NCANDS 

 

ven though some States have been implementing alternative response systems for 

several years, no large-scale, multistate, data-based research has been undertaken 

on the children who have received alternative response as compared with children 

who have received investigations. Findings from this research show that in some ways 

these groups are quite similar; however, some differences can be identified. The 

implications of these findings are discussed below. 

E 

7

 It is not known whether these children experienced previous reports, investigations, or alternative 

response in previous years, because these data were not linked to data from previous years. The prior 

victimization field was not considered. 
This study compared children who were referred to alternative response systems with 

those referred to traditional investigations in terms of their own characteristics, the 

circumstances of their reported maltreatment, and their subsequent reports and 

dispositions. 

Figure 1 shows children who were the subject of a report by the type of response that 

their report received in each of the six States represented in the data set. The number of 

children who were included in a maltreatment report, as well as the proportion of children 

who received an alternative response, varied across these States. Kentucky, Missouri, 

New Jersey, and Oklahoma all had large number of children who were subjects of a 

maltreatment report (between 60,000 and 80,000), but in Kentucky and Oklahoma, only 

27 and 20 percent, respectively, were referred to alternative response, while in Missouri 

and New Jersey, 64 and 71 percent, respectively were referred to alternative response. 

Minnesota (26,344) and Wyoming (4,355) had much smaller number of children who 

were subjects of a report. In Minnesota, 20 percent were referred to alternative response, 

while in Wyoming, 58 percent were. 

Figure 1. Children in Maltreatment Reports by State, 2002 

(n = 318,838) 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

Kentucky Minnesota Missouri New Jersey Oklahoma Wyoming

Investigation

Alternative

Response

Variation was noteworthy between States and reinforces the need to examine the States 

separately. Separate case studies for each State, along with data tables, are presented in 

Appendices A–F. 

State Policies on Alternative Response 

Based on a review of policy documents that were available as of April 1, 2005, table 1 

shows the circumstances under which States will or will not provide alternative response. 

In New Jersey, where child welfare assessments are provided to families with a wide 

range of problems such as homelessness, domestic violence, child or parent substance 

abuse, their policies did not explicitly identify circumstances under which alternative 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 11

Findings from NCANDS 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 12 

Findings from NCANDS 

response could not be provided. Other States take a more restrictive approach by 

aggressively extracting reports for which alternative response cannot be considered 

before identifying those for which it can. Alternatively, these differences may result from 

the style adopted by the State for describing its alternative response system. For example, 

in Wyoming—where 58 percent of reported children were referred to alternative 

response—the policy described only the circumstances precluding alternative response, 

not those that allow it. 

Table 1. State Policies for Alternative Response

Per State Policy, Alternative Response Can Be Provided if: KY MN MO NJ OK WY 

Any alleged inflicted physical injury to a child age 

five and under No Not Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated No Not Stated 

Any alleged inflicted physical injury to a child age 6 

or 7 No Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Minor physical injury in non-critical areas resulting 

from discipline of a child age 8 and older Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Physical 

Abuse 

Child fatality No No No Not 

Stated No No 

Food, clothing, shelter, supervision, or hygiene 

needs are not adequately met Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated Yes Yes Not 

Stated 

Educational neglect Yes Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Child is suicidal, and parents or caregiver not 

providing appropriate intervention No Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Abandonment No No Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated 

Neglect 

Child displaying self destructive behaviors such as 

eating disorders or self-mutilation, as a result of 

emotional abuse or neglect 

No Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated 

Emotional 

Abuse 

Emotional abuse or neglect that does not indicate 

risk of serious physical harm to the child Yes Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Sexual Abuse Child sexual abuse (including solicitation or 

promotion of prostitution) No No No Not 

Stated No No 

Allegations that parent is violent or psychotic Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated 

Homelessness Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Child's disability, or medical, emotional, or 

substance abuse problems 

Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Risk of physical or sexual abuse Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Baby born exposed to drugs/alcohol Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated 

Baby born dependent on drugs/alcohol No Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Unfit 

Parenting 

Domestic violence Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

History of prior reports of abuse or neglect that 

were not serious, or with no indication of escalating 

seriousness of reports 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated Yes Not 

History of Stated 

Maltreatment 

History of serious allegations of abuse or neglect 

whether the investigation was confirmed or not 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 13

Findings from NCANDS 

Per State Policy, Alternative Response Can Be Provided if: KY MN MO NJ OK WY 

Abuse or neglect in a child care facility. No No No Not 

Stated No No

Concerns in a foster family or trial adoptive home 

including abuse or neglect, physical discipline of a

child under age 3, or risk of sexual behavior.

No No No

Not 

Stated No No

Concerns in a foster family or trial adoptive home 

including corporal punishment of a child 3–5 years

of age, or supervision concerns regarding an older 

school-aged child.

Not 

Stated No No

Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Children are in imminent danger and need to be 

removed from the home 

No Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated No No

Ongoing CPS 

Involvement 

Allegations of abuse or neglect, or a new baby born 

in an open permanency planning or prevention

case

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated No Not Stated 

Mild, moderate, or first-time, non-criminal reports of 

physical abuse or neglect

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated Yes Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated 

Abuse, neglect, or malicious punishment resulting 

in serious injury, near death, risk for significant 

harm or injury or requiring medical treatment 

No No No

Not 

Stated No No

Severity of 

Maltreatment 

Criminal charges are likely Not 

Stated 

Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated No Not 

Stated 

Overall Referral Trends 

States’ use of alternative response varied considerably. 

During 2002, referrals to alternative response ranged 

from 20 and 71 percent across these six States. Viewing 

these trends over 5 years, it appears that States were 

generally increasing—or maintaining—steady levels of alternative response referrals. 

The differences between States most likely reflect several factors, including whether the 

program was in the process of being implemented; whether the program is statewide or a 

pilot; the criteria is specified for determining to which track a case may be referred; the 

number of alternative tracks to which a case may be assigned; and the degree to which a 

State documents the outcomes of these alternative track assignments in their NCANDS

data. In general, a review of multiyear trends suggests that States using alternative 

response have been either experiencing growth or steady use of the optional approach to 

responding to child maltreatment reports. 

States differed in how frequently 

alternative responses were used and in 

whether investigations were reduced.

Still, the use of alternative response appears to have 

an impact on the numbers of both victims and 

nonvictims identified by these States when comparing 

1998–2002 disposition data. In general, the use of 

alternative response resulted in a decrease in the 

numbers of victims and nonvictims identified by 

States using alternative response. The impact of the 

alternative response system on States’ victim identification ranged from a 6 percent 

decrease (in a State in which the program is being piloted) to a 36 percent decrease. The 

Alternative response drew clients 

primarily from cases that formerly 

would have been investigated but 

unsubstantiated, or given “other” 

dispositions. 
impact of alternative response systems on the number of nonvictims identified generally 

was reflected by a decrease of nonvictims (ranging from 18% to 57%); however, the rate 

of nonvictims in Oklahoma rose by 30 percent. 

Figure 2. Trends in Alternative Response and Investigation, 1998–2002 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 14

Findings from NCANDS 

who received traditional investigations. As shown in figure 3, older children were more 

 

 Other Disposition 

 Alternative Response 

 Investigation Nonvictim 

 Investigation Victim 

Kentucky

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Nu

mber of Children

Minnesota

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Nu

mber of Children

Missouri

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Nu

mber of Children

New Jersey

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Nu

mber of Children

Oklahoma

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Number of Children

Wyoming

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Number of Children

What are the characteristics of children who received an alternative response? 

This research examined whether demographic characteristics—such as age, sex, race, and 

ethnicity—distinguished children who were referred to alternative response from those 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 15

Findings from NCANDS 

n

e

e

Figure 3. Percentage of Children Referred to Alternative Response, by Age, 2002 

Similar to findings by Loman & Siegel (2004b), race and ethnicity did not strongly 

ative

ve

n most of the States, prior victimization was related to a decreased likelihood of 

c—

a

likely to receive an alternative response than were younger children, similar to findings i

earlier studies in Missouri (Loman & Siegel, 2004a), Texas (Chipley et al., 1999), and 

Washington (English et al., 2000). These findings suggest that the criteria that lead to th

assignment of a report for an alternative response or investigation may take into account 

the age of the child as a vulnerability factor. This assessment may be guided by policy 

directives, a formalized risk or safety assessment, or it may reflect the decisionmakers’

proclivity to opt for a more formalized response in reports involving younger children. 

Other studies have found that the use of formal risk or safety assessment directives guid

decisions regarding track assignment (English et al., 2000; Loman & Siegel, 2004b; U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services, 2003a). 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

8

Kentucky Minnesota Missouri New Jersey Oklahoma Wyoming

0%

Younger than Age 1 Age 1 to 3 Age 4 to 7 Age 8 to 11 Age 12 to 15 Age 16 or older

distinguish between children who received an alternative response and those who 

received an investigation. Some differences were evident in the likelihood of altern

response for children of different races; however, the variation in the number of children

of different races within the CPS population—and the population as a whole—render 

these differences difficult to interpret. In general, the sex of the child was not a major 

factor in determining whether a child received alternative response or investigation, 

although in Missouri and Wyoming, boys were more likely to be referred to alternati

response than were girls. 

I

alternative response. In Minnesota and Missouri, this difference was quite dramati

none of the children with prior victimization received alternative response. In Oklahom
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 16

Findings from NCANDS 

ic

How are the circumstances of the reported maltreatment related to the chances that 

e response is

ed

t

er

f risk

ource of Report

ween a referral to alternative 

ed 

be

al., (2000) found that the children and 

r

Presum bly, the specific policies at the State level regarding referral to alternative 

rce

ms 

and Kentucky, only 7 percent and 16 percent (respectively) of the children with prior 

victimization received alternative response. In New Jersey only, children with prior 

victimization were equally likely to receive alternative response. It is plausible that 

concerns about a family’s responsiveness to system interventions, or about the chron

nature of problems, may factor into the assignment. 

a child receives an alternative response or an investigation response? 

As described above, State policy regarding criteria for the use of alternativ

based on the circumstances of the report, particularly on the type or severity of the 

alleged maltreatment. Previous research has shown that some circumstances of alleg

maltreatment are related to whether a child receives an investigation or an alternative 

response, while others are not. Research has focused mainly on the source of the repor

and type of maltreatment (Siegel & Loman, 2000; Loman & Siegel, 2004a; Virginia 

Department of Social Services, 2004; Chipley et al., 1999, English et al., 2000). Earli

studies have not reported on whether the other characteristics of the maltreatment 

report—such as number of children reported, living arrangement, or the presence o

factors such as family violence or caretaker substance abuse—were associated in any way

with a referral to alternative response. Findings from this study confirm that most of these 

variables are relevant in distinguishing which track is chosen. 

S

The connection bet

response and the source of the report was confirm

by the present study. Alternative response more often

resulted from referrals from parents, relatives, friends,

schools, or the children themselves. (See figure 4.) 

Referrals from social workers, medical personnel, 

legal, or criminal justice sources were less likely to

referred to alternative response. These findings 

coincide in part with earlier research. English et

families served by alternative response in Washington were most likely to have been 

reported by social service professionals and educators and never by law enforcement o

medical personnel. In Texas, reports from law enforcement were mandated to receive 

investigations (Chipley et al., 1999). 

Reports from nonprofessionals 

e

,

and school sources were more 

likely to be referred to alternativ

response than those from social 

workers, medical personnel, legal

or criminal justice sources. 

a

response are responsible in part for establishing the relationship between report sou

and alternative response referral. However, it may also be that reports received from

professional sources present a more thorough and formalized assessment of the proble

that prompted the report, as well as greater knowledge about the types of reports to which

the traditional CPS system may respond, thus assignment to the investigation track may 

be more likely. Another study has suggested that professional reporters are more inclined

to report more serious allegations of child maltreatment. Thus, the greater use of the 

investigation track in such cases may also be explained by severity considerations 

(Zellman, 1990). 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 17

Findings from NCANDS 

Figure 4. Percentage of Children Referred to Alternative Response, 

Maltreatment Type

een maltreatment type 

n

ere children with no reported 

ther

with all

es were

e

 

by Report Source, 2002 

The connection betw

and referral to alternative response in each 

State was strong, but varied across States, 

reflecting different reporting strategies for 

alternative response. For two States in this 

study—Missouri and Wyoming—all childre

referred to alternative response had the same

maltreatment characteristics; in Missouri, all w

maltreatment, and in Wyoming all had been reported for other abuse. In the o

States—Kentucky, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Oklahoma—a portion of children

different maltreatment types were referred to alternative response. (See figure 5.) 

However, neglect/medical neglect and emotional/other/unknown maltreatment typ

more highly represented among children who were referred to alternative response.8

 In 

these four States, children for whom sexual abuse was the only maltreatment type had th

lowest rate of referral to alternative response. With the exception of New Jersey, virtually 

none of the children who were reported to be sexually abused were referred to alternative 

response. These findings suggest that an alternative response system generally reflects the

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Minnesota New Jersey Oklahoma Wyoming

Social Services, Medical, or Mental Health Legal, Law Enforcement, or Criminal Justice Education Day Care or Substitute Care Nonprofessional

Alternative response was more likely to 

be used for cases with less immediate 

safety concerns and was much less 

likely in cases in which sexual abuse

was the only maltreatment type. 

8

 In New Jersey, families that were reported for parenting issues that pose a risk for the child were given a 

family assessment (alternative response) and reported to NCANDS as having an “unknown” maltreatment

type rather than neglect. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 18

Findings from NCANDS 

Figure 5. Percentage of Children Referred to Alternative Response, 

Other Circumstances of the Reported Maltreatment 

In the States that provided data on the reported child’s living arrangement, children living 

rred to alternative response than

ive

ere

.

purpose of the system—to serve families with less immediate safety concerns and 

therefore may not warrant a traditional CPS response. 

by Maltreatment Type, 2002 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Kentucky Minnesota New Jersey Oklahoma

Physical Abuse Neglect or Medical Neglect Sexual Abuse Emotional, Other, or Unknown Abuse Multiple Maltreatment

at home with their families were more likely to be refe

were children in foster care or institutional settings. In all States but Minnesota, a higher 

percentage of children were referred to alternative response when other children were 

included in the same maltreatment report than when only one child was included in the 

report. (See figure 6.) In Wyoming, children were more likely to be referred to alternat

response when there were more children in the report. It may be that cases involving 

neglect are more likely to include more children who are in need of intervention than 

those cases in which physical or sexual abuse is alleged. In Minnesota children who w

alone in the maltreatment report were more likely to be referred to alternative response

In the family risk assessment of abuse and neglect that is used in Minnesota, families 

with more children are given a higher-risk score, resulting in a lower likelihood that they

would be referred to alternative response. Further research is needed to identify what 

underlies the association between number of children in the report and the referral to 

alternative response or investigation. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 19

Findings from NCANDS 

Figure 6. Percentage of Children Referred to Alternative Response, 

by Number of Children in the Report, 2002 

ssociated with an increase in the proportion of children referred to alternative response, 

onse

an

to

nd

hildren who receive an investigation response? 

the course of action following a 

e

In New Jersey only the presence of family violence and caretaker substance abuse were 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Kentucky Minnesota Missouri New Jersey Oklahoma Wyoming

1 child 2 3 4 5 or more

a

which is consistent with the focus of New Jersey’s alternative response system on 

families with these issues. In all other States, the presence of family violence was not 

associated with an increase in the likelihood that a child would be referred to a resp

or a particular type. Also, children whose caretakers had a history of drug abuse had a

lower rate of referral to alternative response than those children with no history of 

caretaker drug abuse. When only caretaker alcohol abuse was present, children were 

referred to alternative response at approximately the same rate, or slightly lower, th

those with no history of caretaker substance abuse. Generally, these findings are in 

keeping with the alternative response systems’ premise to serve those cases that appear

be at lower risk or presenting less severe allegations regarding child maltreatment. 

How do outcomes differ between children who receive an alternative response a

c

This research compares children who received alternative response with those who 

received investigations on two variables pertaining to

report—whether children or their family members received services, if children wer

placed, and whether they experienced an additional report of maltreatment within 6 

months and, if so, how the CPS system responded. Findings illustrate that these two 

groups differed on these outcome variables. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 20

Findings from NCANDS 

ervices

imilar to previous findings in Missouri (Loman & Siegel, 2004a), and Virginia (Virginia 

nt of Social Services, 2004), in-home services were provided more often to 

re 

ginia

esponse

verall findings from earlier studies suggest 

mpromised when 

ss

20 & Siegel, 2004a; Loman 

cial Services, 2004; Center For Child And 

rate of

an investigation as their initial response from CPS, the likelihood of 

eir receiving an alternative response was lower for a second report, but not at all out of 

Implications 

n general, these findings demons entation of an alternative response 

tem reflects its intention—to serve children and families who appear to be at lower 

S

S

Departme

children and families in the alternative response track. These findings may support the 

notion that families who are engaged using a less adversarial approach may be more 

inclined to utilize services that are offered. Moreover, if cases assigned to alternative 

response are those that present less pressing needs, this trend may also reflect that mo

services are available to address the needs of these families compared with what is 

available for families presenting more serious needs. Children were more likely to be 

placed in foster care if they received investigations, similar to earlier findings in Vir

(Virginia Department of Social Services, 2004), Texas (Chipley et al., 1999), and 

Minnesota (Loman & Siegel, 2004b). This study’s finding reinforces the idea that more

serious cases, with more pressing safety concerns are likely to be referred for 

investigation. 

Reentry or Rer

O

that child safety is not co

alternative response is provided rather than a 

traditional investigation, and that children 

involved in alternative response systems are le

likely to experience a subsequent report or

investigation (Chipley et al., 1999; English et al.,

& Siegel, 2004b; Virginia Department of So

Family Policy, 2004). The findings from this research demonstrate that the rate of 

recurrence within 6 months was comparable for children who received an alternative 

response and those who received an investigation, or, in the case of Oklahoma, the

reentry was lower. 

If children received

Rereporting did not seem to be 

influenced substantially by the 

existence of an alternative 

response. 

00; Loman

th

the question. Among children who were found to be victims, fewer than 5 percent were 

referred to alternative response for a subsequent report in most States; although in 

Missouri and New Jersey—with their high overall rate of alternative response—9 and 

11 percent of victims were subsequently referred to alternative response. Similarly,

among nonvictims in New Jersey, 13 percent were subsequently referred to alternative 

response while in other States this rate was less than 10 percent. 

trate that implem I sys

risk or who present less immediate safety concerns. The findings are consistent with 

the expectation that these families’ circumstances may not warrant a traditional CPS 

response, but can benefit from some intervention to prevent potential or future 

maltreatment. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 21 

Findings from NCANDS 

ates are 

eir alternative response systems somewhat differently. Some of this may 

de and 

y 

cies regarding referral to alternative response are 

sponsible in part for the differences evident in these findings. The guidelines for 

ices are being provided to a greater proportion of families who receive 

n alternative response. It also appears from this data that even though children who had 

t 

 influence the processes and outcomes of alternative response 

stems, and it may be helpful to more closely examine the interaction between these 

 has 

d 

These analyses of child, report, and maltreatment characteristics suggest that St

implementing th

be due to the stage and scope of implementation in each State. Other explanations may 

include the degree to which policies clearly specify how the response assignment is 

made. It is also unknown if the profile of cases referred for alternative response changes

as a system matures and workers become more comfortable with employing a less 

adversarial approach for intervention. Still, some discretion by individual caseworkers is 

likely responsible for much of the variation between alternative response and 

investigations, as much as client and report characteristics. Further, State population 

demographics and availability of resources may also factor in the decisions ma

outcomes observed. A closer examination of the types of services utilized by families

assigned to alternative response, compared with families assigned for investigation, ma

reveal more distinctive characteristics. 

Presumably, the specific State-level poli

re

determining whether cases should be referred to alternative response are typically based 

on the severity and type of maltreatment, but may vary considerably by State. These 

variations may reflect not only differences in policies, but also decisionmaking processes

for assessing cases for response assignment, system capacity, and organizational 

philosophy. 

It appears that serv

a

been previously referred to alternative response do experience subsequent reports and 

responses by CPS, in general they are not at any greater risk for subsequent reports than 

those who received an investigation. Furthermore, they are not at any greater risk for 

subsequent victimization. With this knowledge, at the system level, agencies that refer 

children and families to the alternative response or investigation track may be confiden

that, if specified guidelines guide the decision, the child’s future safety is no more likely 

to be compromised. 

Clearly, many factors

sy

factors. Generally, the findings from this study demonstrate that alternative response

been provided in situations in which the severity of the problems is less extreme. The 

results are also broadly consistent with those found in evaluations of individual States 

alternative response systems. This study provides a more textured understanding of 

alternative response systems across States and the outcomes associated with families an

children who benefit from such systems. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 22 

Findings from NCANDS 

References 

Center for Child and Family Policy. (2004). Multiple Response System (MRS) evaluation 

report to the North Carolina Division of Social Services. Durham, NC: Author. 

Chipley, M., Sheets, J., Baumann, D., Robinson, D. & Graham, J.C. (1999). Flexible 

response evaluation. Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. 

English, D., Wingard, T., Marshall, D., Orme, M., & Orme, A. (2000). Alternative 

responses to child protective service: Emerging issues and concerns. Child Abuse 

& Neglect, 24(3), 375–388. 

Farrow, F. (1997). Building community partnerships for child protection: Getting from 

here to there. Washington, DC: Center for the Study of Social Policy. 

Loman, A. & Siegel, G. (2004a). Differential response in Missouri after five years. St. 

Louis, MO: Institute of Applied Research. 

Loman, A., & Siegel, G. (2004b). Minnesota alternative response evaluation: Final 

Report. St. Louis, MO: Institute of Applied Research. 

Siegel, G. & Loman, A. (2000). The Missouri Family Assessment and Response impact 

assessment: Digest of findings and conclusions. St. Louis, MO: Institute of 

Applied Research. 

U.S. General Accounting Office. (1997). Child Protective Services: Complex challenges 

require new strategies. Washington, DC: Author. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and 

Families/Children’s Bureau and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and 

Evaluation. (2003a). National Study of Child Protective Services Systems and 

Reform Efforts: Findings on Local CPS Practices. (Washington, DC: U.S. 

Government Printing Office). 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and 

Families/Children’s Bureau and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and 

Evaluation. (2003b). National Study of Child Protective Services Systems and 

Reform Efforts: Review of State CPS Policy. (Washington, DC: U.S. Government 

Printing Office). 

Virginia Department of Social Services. (2004). Evaluation of the differential response 

system. Richmond, VA: Author. 

Virginia Department of Social Services. (1999). Final report on the Multiple Response 

System for Child Protective Services in Virginia. Richmond, VA: Author. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 23 

Findings from NCANDS 

Waldfogel, J. (1998). The future of child protection. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University 

Press. 

Zellman, G. (1990). The impact of case characteristics on child abuse reporting decisions. 

Child Abuse and Neglect, 16, 57–74. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 24 

Findings from NCANDS 

APPENDIX A 

CASE STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE SYSTEM: 

KENTUCKY 

During 2002, 62,738 children received dispositions from the CPS system in Kentucky. 

Seventy-three percent of the reported children with dispositions during 2002 were 

referred to the investigation track and 27 percent received an alternative response.

Background

In Kentucky, cases referred to the CPS agency are referred to one of four tracks. The 

investigation track is used for all moderate or high-risk referrals as determined by the 

level of risk matrix. All sexual abuse and nonfamilial referrals meet the criteria for the 

investigation track. The emphasis during investigations is on obtaining and documenting 

evidentiary information that supports a finding of substantiated or unsubstantiated abuse 

and neglect. In the investigation track, the social service worker collaborates with the 

family and community partners to obtain the necessary information and comprehensively 

address the safety needs of all family members. Reports that are referred to the 

investigation track are given dispositions of substantiated, unsubstantiated, or closed with 

no finding. 

The family in need of services assessment (FINSA) track is used for dependency, status, 

and referrals determined to be at low-risk for physical abuse or neglect. The emphasis is 

on partnering with the family and community in order to establish a family support 

system to meet the needs of the family in a comprehensive manner and prevent future 

abuse or neglect incidents. All cases in the FINSA track are given the disposition of 

alternative response–nonvictim in the NCANDS data submission. 

The resource linkage track is used for any referrals that do not meet certain criteria 

defined in legislation. The caller is linked to appropriate community resources in order to 

meet the needs of the family. The law enforcement track is used for cases involving 

noncaretakers. For families in this track, the social service worker can also provide 

assistance, such as interviews of children and referrals to community resources. Children 

referred to these tracks were reported as other dispositions, and did not count as either 

investigation or alternative response. 

Trends 

The number of children who received a response from the CPS system in Kentucky 

remained fairly constant from 1998 to 2002, with a drop during 2001. With the 

introduction of alternative response, the number of children found to be victims 

decreased by 36 percent between 1998 and 2002, and the number of nonvictims was 

reduced by 23 percent. (See figure A–1.) 

Characteristics of the Children 

While overall in Kentucky, 27 percent of reported children received an alternative 

response, older children were more likely to be referred to alternative response. Among 
reported children older than age 8, 31 percent were referred to alternative response, while 

23 percent of children younger than age 8 were referred to alternative response. The race 

of the child did not strongly distinguish those children who were referred to alternative 

response from those who received investigations, although the rate of referral to 

alternative response was higher for African-Americans (29%) and Asian children (29%), 

than for American Indian (24%), White (25%), and Hispanic (22%) children. Reported 

children with prior histories of victimization were less likely (16%) than those without 

prior victimization (28%) to receive alternative response. 

Figure A–1. Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Kentucky 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Children in Maltreatment Reports

Alternative

Response

Investigation

- Nonvictim

Investigation

- Victim

Characteristics of the Reported Maltreatment

Children in reports of all types of maltreatment were referred to alternative response, 

although a higher percentage of children in reports in which the only maltreatment was 

emotional maltreatment (51%) or neglect (31%) was referred to alternative response, 

while only 20 percent of reports of physical abuse, 16 percent of multiple maltreatment 

reports, and 2 percent of sexual abuse reports were referred to alternative response. 

Children in reports that included a large number of children were less likely to be referred 

to alternative response that those with fewer children in the report. Among children with 

whom 6 or more other children were included in the same report, 12 percent were 

referred to alternative response, compared with at least 25 percent of children who had 

fewer additional children in the same report. Reported children were referred to 

alternative response less frequently when their families had a history of family violence 

(22%) than when there was no history of family violence (27%).9

 

 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 25

Findings from NCANDS 

9

 The number of children whose families had a reported history of family violence was very small (7% of

children), so the percentage of children without such a history who received an alternative response mirrors 

the percentage in the full dataset. 
Service Provision 

In Kentucky, provision of in-home services was equally likely in families of children who 

received an alternative response as among those whose children received an 

investigation. However, children were placed in foster care less often after receiving an 

alternative response (4%) than after an investigation (10%). 

Subsequent Responses by CPS 

Figure A–2 shows the trajectory of the 25,270 children who received dispositions from

the CPS system during the first 6 months of 200210. 

In Kentucky, the likelihood of receiving a second response within 6 months was 

comparable among children whose first response was alternative response (17%), those 

who received an investigation and had been found to be victims (17%), and those who 

received an investigation and had not been found to be victims (18%). 

Figure A–2. Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Kentucky 

Initial Report

Subsequent Report within 6 Months

All Children in 

Maltreatment 

Reports

25,270

Alternative 

Response

73%

Investigation

68%

Nonvictim Victim

81% 15% 3%

83% 15%

2% 83% 11% 6%

27%

32%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response

Investigation

44% 56%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response

Investigation

68% 32%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response

Investigation

66% 34%

While 27 percent of children received an alternative response for their initial report, 6 

percent of these children received an alternative response after a second report within 6 

months. Among those children found to be victims following an investigation, 6 percent 

 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 26

Findings from NCANDS 

10 The decision points in the figure indicate whether the child received an alternative response or an

investigation in response to his or her first report of maltreatment within the reporting period. Among those 

in each group, as well as those investigated children who were found to be either victims or nonvictims, the 

figure separates those who experienced a second response from the CPS system within 6 months of the first

report with those who did not. Next, groups split into those for whom this second response was alternative, 

and those who received an investigation, and finally those who received an investigation were separated 

into victims and nonvictims. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 27 

Findings from NCANDS 

were referred to alternative response. Among those children found not to be victims 

following an investigation, 2 percent were referred to alternative response following a 

second report. 

Among children with an initial investigation, 32 percent were found to be victims. 

Among these victims, 56 percent who experienced a subsequent investigation were 

found, again, to be victims. The percentage of children who were found to be victims in a 

subsequent investigation was comparable among children with an initial alternative 

response (34%) and investigated children who were initially found to be nonvictims 

(32%). 

Table A–1. Age of Child by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Age of Child 

N % N % N % 

Age 1 or Younger 1,040 23% 3,388 77% 4,428 100% 

Age 1 to 3 2,734 21% 10,080 79% 12,814 100% 

Age 4 to 7 3,911 24% 12,608 76% 16,519 100% 

Age 8 to 11 4,156 30% 9,608 70% 13,764 100% 

Age 12 to 15 3,712 32% 7,825 68% 11,537 100% 

Age 16 or older 1,198 33% 2,478 67% 3,676 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 

Table A–2. Race of Child by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Race of Child 

N % N % N % 

American Indian 10 24% 32 76% 42 100% 

African-American 1,916 29% 4,708 71% 6,624 100% 

Asian 19 29% 46 71% 65 100% 

White 11,446 25% 34,642 75% 46,088 100% 

Hispanic 20 22% 70 78% 90 100% 

Multiracial 193 25% 574 75% 767 100% 

Unknown Race 3,147 35% 5,915 65% 9,062 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 

Table A–3. Sex of Child by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Sex of Child 

N % N % N % 

Boys 8,177 27% 22,457 73% 30,634 100% 

Girls 8,492 27% 23,171 73% 31,663 100% 

Unknown Sex 82 19% 359 81% 441 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 28 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table A–4. Prior Victimization of Child by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Prior Victimization of 

Child N % N % N % 

Prior Victimization 1,089 16% 5,737 84% 6,826 100% 

No Prior Victimization 15,662 28% 40,250 72% 55,912 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 

Table A–5. Report Source by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Report Source 

N % N % N % 

Social Services, Medical, or Mental 

Health Personnel 

638 21% 2381 79% 3,019 100% 

Legal, Law Enforcement, or Criminal 

Justice Personnel 

942 24% 3023 76% 3,965 100% 

Education Personnel 924 30% 2181 70% 3,105 100% 

Day Care 0 0 0 

Substitute Care 92 20% 372 80% 464 100% 

Alleged Victim 120 24% 372 76% 492 100% 

Parent, Other Relative, 

Friends/Neighbor 

2,918 27% 7,743 73% 10,661 100% 

Alleged Perpetrator 0 0 0 

Anonymous Reporter 1,867 26% 5,358 74% 7,225 100% 

Other, Unknown, or Missing 9,250 27% 24,557 73% 33,807 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 

Table A–6. Number of Children in Report by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Number of Children 

in Report N % N % N % 

1 6,928 25% 20,699 75% 27,627 100% 

2 4,680 28% 11,908 72% 16,588 100% 

3 3,048 29% 7,614 71% 10,662 100% 

4 1,356 28% 3,512 72% 4,868 100% 

5 470 27% 1,245 73% 1,715 100% 

6 192 29% 462 71% 654 100% 

7 42 15% 245 85% 287 100% 

8 16 12% 120 88% 136 100% 

9 or more 19 9% 182 91% 201 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 29 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table A–7. Maltreatment Type by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738)

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Maltreatment Type 

N % N % N % 

Physical Abuse 2,430 20% 9,847 80% 12,277 100% 

Neglect 13,142 31% 28,870 69% 42,012 100% 

Sexual Abuse 85 2% 3,322 98% 3,407 100% 

Other/Emotional 

Maltreatment 449 51% 432 49% 881 100% 

Multiple Maltreatment 645 16% 3,516 84% 4,161 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 

Table A–8. Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738)

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Caretaker Substance Abuse 

N % N % N % 

Alcohol Abuse 24 27% 66 73% 90 100% 

Drug Abuse 5 6% 83 94% 88 100% 

Both Drug Abuse and Alcohol 

Abuse 8 12% 60 88% 68 100% 

None or Unknown 16,714 27% 45,778 73% 62,492 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 

Table A–9. Family Violence by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738)

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Family Violence N % N % N % 

Record of Family Violence 927 22% 3,260 78% 4,187 100% 

No Record of Family 

Violence 15,824 27% 42,727 73% 58,551 100% 

Total 16,751 27% 45,987 73% 62,738 100% 

Table A–10. Services Provided by Response, Kentucky 

(n = 62,738)

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Services Provided 

N % N % N % 

In-Home Services 5,170 31% 14,651 32% 19,821 32% 

Foster Care 148 1% 1,034 2% 1,182 2% 

Both In-Home Services and 

Foster Care 

472 3% 3,762 8% 4,234 7% 

No Services Provided 10,961 65% 26,540 58% 37,501 60% 

Total 16,751 100% 45,987 100% 62,738 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 30 

Findings from NCANDS 

APPENDIX B 

CASE STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE SYSTEM: 

MINNESOTA 

In Minnesota, 26,344 children received dispositions from the CPS system during 2002. 

Eighty percent of reports with dispositions during 2002 received an investigation and 

20 percent received an alternative response. 

Background 

In Minnesota, alternative response began during 2000 as a 4-year demonstration project 

in 20 counties and became a statewide option during February 2004 for families reported 

to the child protection system. The option of alternative response enables counties to 

offer a nonconfrontational, strengths-based assessment to families involved in all but the 

most serious reports of child maltreatment. Only high-risk reports that allege substantial 

child endangerment must receive an investigative response. According to the guidelines 

in Minnesota, each agency determines whether to provide an alternative response or a 

traditional investigation; however, certain specific circumstances that constitute 

substantial endangerment require that an investigation be conducted; State policy 

includes a list of twelve types of such maltreatment, including specific types of sexual 

abuse, malicious punishment, and neglect that substantially endangers the child’s life. 

During 2002, a demonstration project was under way in 20 of the 87 counties in 

Minnesota, yet many other counties had also chosen to implement this approach. The 

Minnesota Child File included children who received an alternative response in 

55 counties in the State. The demonstration project involved random assignment of 

families who were screened as appropriate for alternative response to either actually 

receive an alternative response or to receive a traditional investigation. It is important to 

note that in these 20 counties, due to the random assignment that took place, the observed 

differences between the children who received alternative response and those who 

received investigation may not be representative of characteristics of children who 

received alternative response after that evaluation was completed. 

All reports that received an alternative response were given the disposition of alternative 

response–nonvictim in the NCANDS data submission. Reports that received traditional 

investigations were given dispositions of substantiated or unsubstantiated. 

Trends 

The number of children who received a response from the CPS system in Minnesota 

remained steady from 1998 to 2000, followed by a slight decrease during 2001 and a 

slight increase during 2002. (See figure B–1.) The number of victims decreased 6 percent 

from 1998 to 2002, after an initial increase, and the number of nonvictims decreased 

23 percent. 

Characteristics of the Children 

In Minnesota the proportion of children referred to alternative response increased with 

each age group, and then decreased slightly for children age 12 and older. Among infants, 
15 percent were referred to alternative response; 22 percent for the age 8–11 group were 

referred to alternative response. Boys and girls were equally likely to be referred to 

alternative response. While overall 20 percent of reported children were referred to 

alternative response, the percentage was higher among Asian (23%), Hispanic (23%), and 

White children (24%), and lower among American Indian (12%), African-American 

(13%), and multiple-race children (17%). None of the children with histories of prior 

victimization were referred to alternative response, while 23% of those without prior 

victimization received alternative response. 

Figure B–1 Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Minnesota 

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Children in Malreatment Reports

Alternative

Response

Investigation

- Nonvictim

Investigation

- Victim

Characteristics of the Reported Maltreatment

While overall 20 percent of reported children were referred to alternative response, 

children were more likely to be referred to alternative response if their maltreatment had 

been reported by educational personnel (28%), the alleged victim (28%), or the alleged 

perpetrator (30%). Children were less likely to be referred to alternative response if their 

reports were from social services, medical or mental health personnel (13%), law 

enforcement or legal personnel (18%), substitute care providers (14%), or anonymous 

reporters (15%). Children living with their immediate families at the time of the 

maltreatment report had the highest chance of being referred to alternative response 

(22%), while fewer than 10 percent of children living in relative or nonrelative foster care 

or in institutional settings were referred to alternative response. The likelihood of referral 

to alternative response declined steadily with the number of children in the report. 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 31

Findings from NCANDS 

In Minnesota, children whose alleged maltreatment included only one type of 

maltreatment—physical abuse, neglect or medical neglect, or emotional maltreatment—

were all referred to alternative response in approximately the same proportions (22%–

23%). A much smaller proportion of children whose reports included multiple 

maltreatments (9%) were referred to alternative response, and no children with reports of 

sexual abuse were referred to alternative response. While overall 20 percent of reported 

children in Minnesota received an alternative response, children whose families had a 
history of family violence were less likely (17%) to be referred to alternative response 

than were children with no history of family violence (21%). Reported children whose 

caretakers had a history of drug abuse were less likely (9%) to be referred to alternative 

response than children with no history of caretaker drug abuse (21%). 

Services 

In-home services were provided to the families of nearly all children for whom

maltreatment was alleged. The proportion that were referred to foster care was higher 

among children who received investigations (17%) than among those who received 

alternative response (6%). 

Subsequent Responses by CPS 

Figure B–2 shows the track of the 12,433 unique children who received dispositions from

the CPS system in Minnesota during the first 6 months of 2002. The likelihood of 

receiving a second response within 6 months was lower among children who received 

and investigation and were found not to be victims (8%) than among those who received 

an investigation and were found to be victims (11%), and those whose first response was 

alternative response (10%). 

Figure B–2. Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Minnesota 

Initial Report

Subsequent Report within 6 Months

All Children in

Maltreatment

Reports

12,433

Alternative 

Response

80%

Investigation

50%

Nonvictim Victim

92% 5% 3%

89% 10%

1% 90% 9% 1%

20%

50%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response Investigation

40% 60%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response Investigation

50% 50%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative

Response

Investigation

45% 55%

While 20 percent of children received an alternative response for their initial report, a 

very small proportion of children received an alternative response following a subsequent 

report (1% of children who initially received an alternative response, 1% of children who 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 32

Findings from NCANDS 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 33 

Findings from NCANDS 

experienced an initial investigation and were found to be victims, and 3% of children 

who experienced an initial investigation and were found to be nonvictims). 

While 50 percent of children with an investigation were found to be victims, a higher 

percentage were found to be victims among children with an initial alternative response 

and subsequent investigation (55%) and victims with a subsequent investigation (60%). 

Among children who were found not to be victims in an initial investigation, 50 percent 

who experienced a subsequent investigation were found to be victims. 

Table B–1. Age of Child by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Age of Child 

N % N % N % 

Age 1 or Younger 262 14% 1,581 86% 1,843 100% 

Age 1 to 3 953 19% 4,088 81% 5,041 100% 

Age 4 to 7 1,467 21% 5,518 79% 6,985 100% 

Age 8 to 11 1,355 22% 4,731 78% 6,086 100% 

Age 12 to 15 964 20% 3,789 80% 4,753 100% 

Age 16 or older 292 20% 1,143 80% 1,435 100% 

Missing Age 173 86% 28 14% 201 100% 

Total 5,466 21% 20,878 79% 26,344 100% 

Table B–2. Race of Child by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Race of Child 

N % N % N % 

American Indian 189 12% 1,361 88% 1,550 100% 

African-American 711 13% 4,785 87% 5,496 100% 

Asian 192 23% 651 77% 843 100% 

White 3,422 24% 10,934 76% 14,356 100% 

Hispanic 490 23% 1,646 77% 2,136 100% 

Multiracial 230 17% 1,127 83% 1,357 100% 

Unknown Race 87 14% 519 86% 606 100% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 34 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table B–3. Sex of Child by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Sex of Child Victim 

N % N % N % 

Boys 2,680 21% 10,371 79% 13,051 100% 

Girls 2,641 20% 10,652 80% 13,293 100% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 

Table B–4. Prior Victimization of Child by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Prior Victimization of 

Child N % N % N % 

Prior Victimization 0 0% 3,221 100% 3,221 100% 

No Prior Victimization 5,321 23% 17,802 77% 23,123 100% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 

Table B–5. Report Source by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Report Source 

N % N % N % 

Social Services, Medical, or Mental 

Health Personnel 

666 13% 4,543 87% 5,209 100% 

Legal, Law Enforcement, or Criminal 

Justice Personnel 

1,231 18% 5,619 82% 6,850 100% 

Education Personnel 1,538 28% 3,900 72% 5,438 100% 

Day Care 80 20% 319 80% 399 100% 

Substitute Care 80 14% 484 86% 564 100% 

Alleged Victim 55 28% 142 72% 197 100% 

Parent, Other Relative, 

Friends/Neighbor 

1,210 22% 4,289 78% 5,499 100% 

Alleged Perpetrator 9 30% 21 70% 30 100% 

Anonymous Reporter 127 15% 697 85% 824 100% 

Other, Unknown, or Missing 325 24% 1,009 76% 1,334 100% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 35 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table B–6. Living Arrangement of Child by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Living Arrangement 

N % N % N % 

With Family 5,138 22% 17,952 78% 23,090 100% 

Relative Foster Care 32 5% 577 95% 609 100% 

Non Relative Foster Care 40 2% 1,703 98% 1,743 100% 

Institution 9 4% 228 96% 237 100% 

Other or Unknown 102 15% 563 85% 665 100% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 

Table B–7. Number of Children in Report by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Number of Children 

in Report N % N % N % 

1 2,902 23% 9,718 77% 12,620 100% 

2 1,222 20% 4,908 80% 6,130 100% 

3 747 19% 3,105 81% 3,852 100% 

4 320 16% 1,672 84% 1,992 100% 

5 90 10% 820 90% 910 100% 

6 18 5% 372 95% 390 100% 

7 14 7% 182 93% 196 100% 

8 8 7% 112 93% 120 100% 

9 or more children 0 0% 134 100% 134 100% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 

Table B–8. Maltreatment Type by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Maltreatment Type 

N % N % N % 

Physical Abuse 1,500 23% 4,895 77% 6,395 100% 

Neglect 3,631 22% 12,685 78% 16,316 100% 

Sexual Abuse 5 0% 1,765 100% 1,770 100% 

Other/Emotional 

maltreatment 29 22% 101 78% 130 100% 

Multiple Maltreatment 156 9% 1,577 91% 1,733 100% 

No Maltreatment 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 36 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table B–9. Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Caretaker Substance Abuse 

N % N % N % 

Alcohol Abuse 277 18% 1,293 82% 1,570 100% 

Drug Abuse 55 6% 797 94% 852 100% 

Both Drug Abuse and Alcohol 

Abuse 81 12% 595 88% 676 100% 

None or Unknown 4,908 21% 18,338 79% 23,246 100% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 

Table B–10. Family Violence by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Family Violence N % N % N % 

Record of Family Violence 829 17% 4,006 83% 4,835 100% 

No Record of Family 

Violence 4,492 21% 17,017 79% 21,509 100% 

Total 5,321 20% 21,023 80% 26,344 100% 

Table B–11. Services Provided by Response, Minnesota 

(n = 26,344) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Services Provided 

N % N % N % 

In-Home Services 5,002 94% 17,405 83% 22,407 85% 

Foster Care 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Both In-Home Services and 

Foster Care 308 6% 3,612 17% 3,920 15% 

No Services Provided 11 0% 6 0% 17 0% 

Total 5,321 100% 21,023 100% 26,344 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 37 

Findings from NCANDS 

APPENDIX C 

CASE STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE SYSTEM: 

MISSOURI 

During 2002, 80,644 children received dispositions from the CPS system in Missouri. 

Sixty-four percent of these children were referred to the assessment track, and 36 percent 

were referred to the investigation track. 

Background 

When a local CPS agency receives a report of child maltreatment, the report is screened 

to determine the best method of intervention. If the report includes acts of the alleged 

perpetrator that, if confirmed, constitute criminal violations, the report is subject to an 

evidentiary, fact-finding investigation. The local agency notifies the appropriate law 

enforcement agency to assist with the investigation. 

If the report contains behaviors that constitute a potential criminal violation, an 

investigation is conducted. Such reports include child fatality, sexual abuse, and 

situations in which the alleged perpetrator is not a member of the family/household or in 

which the maltreatment took place in a foster care or day care facility. Family 

assessments are conducted for carefully screened reports of suspected maltreatment—

reports of mild, moderate, or first-time non-criminal physical abuse, neglect, emotional 

maltreatment, or educational neglect. The purpose of family assessment is to determine 

the family’s needs for services and to secure child safety. Families coming to the 

attention of the Division of Family Services have different intervention needs: They 

require flexible responses from the Division and the community in order to protect their 

children and meet the needs of the family. 

All reports in the family assessment track are given the disposition of alternative 

response–nonvictim in the NCANDS data submission. Reports in the investigation track 

are given dispositions of substantiated, unsubstantiated, or closed with no finding. 

Trends 

The number of children who received a response from the CPS system in Missouri 

increased from 1998 to 2002. Alternative response dispositions, as well as other 

dispositions, were reported in Missouri each year since 1998, although the number of 

alternative response dispositions increased dramatically during 2000 and, by 2002, the 

number of other dispositions was negligible. While the number of children found to be 

victims has been reduced by 22 percent, the number of nonvictims has been reduced by 

54 percent. (See figure C–1.) 

Characteristics of the Children 

Among all age groups, between 60 and 70 percent of children were referred to alternative 

response, with the lowest percentage for infants (64%) and teens older than age 16 (62%), 

and the highest percentage for children between age 4 and 11 (70%). Among boys, 

69 percent were referred to alternative response, while among girls 65 percent were 

referred to alternative response. In Missouri, reported children with prior victimization 
were less likely to receive alternative response. Only 23 percent of children with prior 

victimization received alternative response, while 69 percent of those without prior 

victimization received alternative response. 

Figure C–1. Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Missouri 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Children in Maltreatment Reports

Other

Disposition

Alternative

Response

Investigation

- Nonvictim

Investigation

- Victim

Characteristics of the Reported Maltreatment

In Missouri, while overall 64 percent of reported children received an alternative 

response, the likelihood of referral to alternative response increased with the number of 

other children in the same report—up to four children—and declines after that. Among 

children who were the only ones included in the report, 60 percent were referred to 

alternative response, while 70 percent of children with three or four other children in the 

same report were referred to alternative response. Among children with seven other 

children in the report, 58 percent received alternative response. 

In Missouri, none of the children who were referred to alternative response cases had any 

maltreatment type included in their report. Children whose families had a history of 

family violence were less likely (53%) to be referred to alternative response than were

children with no history of family violence (64%). Reported children whose caretakers 

had a history of drug abuse were less likely (43%) to be referred to alternative response 

than children with no history of caretaker drug abuse (65%).11

Services 

In Missouri, provision of in-home services was more common in families of children who 

received an alternative response (79%) than among those whose children received an 

investigation (72%). Children who received alternative response were less likely to be

placed in foster care (5%) than were children who received an investigation (13%). 

 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 38

Findings from NCANDS 

11 Less than 10 percent of children had any of these risk factors, so the percentage of children without such

risk factors who received an alternative response mirrors the percentage in the full dataset. 
Subsequent Responses by CPS 

Figure C–2 shows the trajectory of the 32,018 unique children who received dispositions 

from the CPS system in Missouri during the first 6 months of 2002. In Missouri, the 

likelihood of receiving a second response within 6 months was comparable among 

children whose first response was alternative response (22%) and among those who had 

received an investigation and had been found to be victims (23%), and lower among 

those who had received an investigation and were found not to be victims (19%). 

Figure C–2. Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Missouri 

Initial Report

Subsequent Report within 6 Months

All Children in

Maltreatment

Reports

32,018

Alternative 

Response

37%

Investigation

65%

Nonvictim Victim

81% 12% 7%

77% 15%

9% 78% 5% 17%

63%

35%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative

Response Investigation

37% 63%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response Investigation

77% 23%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative

Response

Investigation

64% 36%

While 63 percent of children received an alternative response for their initial report, 

17 percent of these children received an alternative response following a second report 

within 6 months. Among those children found to be victims following an investigation, 

9 percent were referred to alternative response following a subsequent report. Among 

nonvictims, 7 percent were subsequently referred to alternative response. 

Among children with an initial investigation, 35 percent were found to be victims. 

Among these victims, 63 percent who experienced a subsequent investigation were 

found, again, to be victims. The percentage of children who were found to be victims in a 

subsequent investigation was higher among children with an initial alternative response 

(36%) compared with investigated children who were found to be nonvictims (23%). 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 39

Findings from NCANDS 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 40 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table C–1. Age of Child by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Age of Child 

N % N % N % 

Age 1 or Younger 2,503 61% 1,621 39% 4,124 100% 

Age 1 to 3 9,308 63% 5,498 37% 14,806 100% 

Age 4 to 7 12,643 65% 6,710 35% 19,353 100% 

Age 8 to 11 12,349 67% 6,215 33% 18,564 100% 

Age 12 to 15 11,356 64% 6,449 36% 17,805 100% 

Age 16 or older 2,622 60% 1,773 40% 4,395 100% 

Missing Age 617 39% 980 61% 1,597 100% 

Total 51,398 64% 29,246 36% 80,644 100% 

Table C–2. Race of Child by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Race of Child 

N % N % N % 

American Indian 99 50% 98 50% 197 100% 

African-American 11,912 66% 6,244 34% 18,156 100% 

Asian 140 70% 61 30% 201 100% 

White 37,408 63% 21,671 37% 59,079 100% 

Hispanic 1,075 64% 616 36% 1,691 100% 

Multiracial 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Unknown Race 764 58% 556 42% 1,320 100% 

Total 51,398 64% 29,246 36% 80,644 100% 

Table C–3. Sex of Child by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Sex of Child Victim 

N % N % N % 

Boys 26,483 66% 13,806 34% 40,289 100% 

Girls 24,867 62% 15,292 38% 40,159 100% 

Unknown Sex 48 24% 148 76% 196 100% 

Total 51,398 64% 29,246 36% 80,644 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 41 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table C–4. Prior Victimization of Child by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Prior Victimization of 

Child N % N % N % 

Prior Victimization 0 0% 2,873 100% 2,873 100% 

No Prior Victimization 51,398 66% 26,373 34% 77,771 100% 

Total 51,398 64% 29,246 36% 80,644 100% 

Table C–5. Report Source by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Report Source 

N % N % N % 

Social Services, Medical, or Mental 

Health Personnel 9,863 55% 8,202 45% 18,065 100% 

Legal, Law Enforcement, or Criminal 

Justice Personnel 4,818 48% 5,230 52% 10,048 100% 

Education Personnel 5,314 70% 2,234 30% 7,548 100% 

Day Care 347 49% 368 51% 715 100% 

Substitute Care 101 35% 186 65% 287 100% 

Other, Unknown, or Missing 30,955 70% 13,026 30% 43,981 100% 

Total 51,398 64% 29,246 36% 80,644 100% 

Table C–6. Number of Children in Report by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Number of Children 

in Report N % N % N % 

1 21,685 60% 14,725 40% 36,410 100% 

2 13,150 66% 6,642 34% 19,792 100% 

3 8,550 67% 4,203 33% 12,753 100% 

4 4,660 70% 2,008 30% 6,668 100% 

5 1,930 70% 835 30% 2,765 100% 

6 834 68% 390 32% 1,224 100% 

7 301 63% 175 37% 476 100% 

8 152 58% 112 42% 264 100% 

9 or more children 0 0% 156 100% 156 100% 

Total 51,262 64% 29,246 36% 80,508 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 42 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table C–7. Maltreatment Type by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Maltreatment Type 

N % N % N % 

Physical Abuse 0 0% 2,156 100% 2156 100% 

Neglect 0 0% 3,843 100% 3843 100% 

Sexual Abuse 0 0% 2,435 100% 2435 100% 

Other/Emotional 

Maltreatment 1 0% 508 100% 509 100% 

Multiple Maltreatment 0 0% 1,479 100% 1479 100% 

No Maltreatment 51,397 73% 18,825 27% 70222 100% 

Total 51,398 64% 29,246 36% 80,644 100% 

Table C–8. Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Caretaker Substance Abuse 

N % N % N % 

Alcohol Abuse 749 52% 680 48% 1,429 100% 

Drug Abuse 1,023 43% 1,363 57% 2,386 100% 

Both Drug Abuse and Alcohol 

Abuse 111 43% 147 57% 258 100% 

None or Unknown 49,515 65% 27,056 35% 76,571 100% 

Total 51,398 64% 29,246 36% 80,644 100% 

Table C–9. Family Violence by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Family Violence N % N % N % 

Record of Family Violence 1,521 53% 1,364 47% 2,885 100% 

No Record of Family 

Violence 49,877 64% 27,882 36% 77,759 100% 

Total 51,398 64% 29,246 36% 80,644 100% 

Table C–10. Services Provided by Response, Missouri 

(n = 80,644) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses 

Services Provided N % N % N % 

In-Home Services 40,830 79% 21,145 72% 61,975 77% 

Foster Care 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Both In-Home Services and 

Foster Care 2,327 5% 3,678 13% 6,005 7% 

No Services Provided 8,241 16% 4,423 15% 12,664 16% 

Total 51,398 100% 29,246 100% 80,644 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 43 

Findings from NCANDS 

 

APPENDIX D 

CASE STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE SYSTEM: 

NEW JERSEY 

During 2002, 70,786 children received dispositions from the CPS system in New Jersey. 

Twenty-nine percent of these children were referred to the assessment track, and 71 

percent were referred to the investigation track. 

Background 

When a report of child maltreatment is made in New Jersey, the intake screener either 

screens in the report and refers it for CPS investigation, screens out the report, opens a 

child welfare services case if the report was made by a professional and the family needs 

services but the legal criteria for CPS aren’t met; or refers the reporter to a community 

agency without opening a case.12 Cases that receive child welfare assessments are 

reported as alternative response disposition–not a victim on the NCANDS report, and are 

described in this report as having been referred to alternative response. The types of 

situations that may lead to such a classification include homelessness; domestic violence; 

unresolved child-related medical, emotional, or substance abuse problems; children with 

disabilities needing assistance; problems that affect the ability of parents to provide basic 

care for their children; and cases in which parents lack the skills to parent adequately. 

When reported to NCANDS, an “unknown” maltreatment type is recorded. 

In instances where there was a family problem and an alleged maltreatment, an 

investigation is conducted, but if the allegations are not substantiated, these cases are 

considered to be family problem cases and are reported to NCANDS with an alternative 

response—nonvictim disposition. 

Trends 

The number of children who received a response from the CPS system in New Jersey 

dropped between 1998 and 2000, and then remained steady until 2002. While the number 

of children found to be victims was reduced by 18 percent from 1998 to 2002, the 

number of nonvictims was reduced by 57 percent. During 1998 and 1999, New Jersey 

reported 46 percent of cases as other dispositions; after 2000, alternative response 

accounted for 70 percent of dispositions. (See figure D–1.) 

Characteristics of the Children 

In New Jersey, the proportion of children referred to alternative response increased with 

the age of the child. Sixty-seven percent of reported infants younger than age 1 were 

referred to alternative response, while 73 percent of children age 16 and older were 

referred to alternative response. Differences among the races in their likelihood of being 

referred to alternative response were not large. White (73%) and Hispanic (72%) children 

were more likely to be referred to alternative response, while the likelihood of referral to 

alternative response was lower for African-American (67%), Asian (69%), and for 

American Indian children (61%). In New Jersey, children with a history of prior 

12 This is considered an information and referral call. 
victimization were equally likely to receive alternative response as children with no prior 

victimization. 

Figure D–1. Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, New Jersey 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Children in Maltreatment Reports

Other

Disposition

Alternative

Response

Investigation

- Nonvictim

Investigation

- Victim

Characteristics of the Reported Maltreatment

In New Jersey, where the overall rate of alterative response was 71 percent, children 

whose maltreatment was alleged by law enforcement or legal personnel (63%) or 

substitute care providers (47%) were less likely to be referred to alternative response. 

Children whose maltreatment was alleged by parents, other relatives, or friends were 

slightly more likely (75%) than others to be referred to alternative response. Reported

children living in either family or relative foster care had the highest chance of being 

referred to alternative response (both at 71%), while a lower percentage of children living 

in nonrelative foster care or in institutional settings were referred to alternative response 

(60% and 53%, respectively). Among children who were the only subject of the report of 

maltreatment, 61 percent were referred to alternative response, while 75 percent of 

children who were not alone in the report were referred to alternative response. 

More than 90 percent of children whose maltreatment reports included only unknown 

maltreatment were referred to alternative response. Thirty-nine percent of children whose 

reports included only physical abuse were referred to alternative response. New Jersey’s 

rate of alternative response referral for sexual abuse cases was 16 percent. Only 6 percent 

of children who were reported for neglect or medical neglect were referred to alternative 

response. In New Jersey, families that are reported for parenting issues that pose a risk 

for the child are given a family assessment (alternative response) and reported to 

NCANDS as having an “unknown” maltreatment type rather than neglect. 

In New Jersey, the presence of family violence or caretaker substance abuse was 

associated with a greater likelihood that a child would be referred to alternative response 

which is consistent with the focus of New Jersey’s alternative response system on 

families with these issues. Children whose families had a history of family violence were 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 44

Findings from NCANDS 
more likely (91%) to be referred to alternative response than were children with no 

history of family violence (70%). Reported children whose caretakers had a history of 

drug abuse were more likely (81%) to be referred to alternative response than children

with no history of caretaker drug abuse (69%).13

Services 

Among children who received alternative response, 73 percent received only in-home 

services, 5 percent were placed in foster care, and 22 percent had no services provided. In 

comparison, among children who received investigations, 34 percent received only inhome services, 13 percent were placed in foster care, and 53 percent had no services 

provided. 

Subsequent Responses by CPS 

In New Jersey, the likelihood of receiving a second response within 6 months was 

comparable among children whose first response was alternative response (21%), those 

who received an investigation and had been found to be victims (20%), and those who 

received an investigation and had not been found to be victims (22%). (See figure D–2.) 

Figure D–2. Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, New

Jersey 

Initial Report

Subsequent Report within 6 Months

All Children in 

Maltreatment

Reports

32,183

Alternative 

Response

29%

Investigation

47%

Nonvictim Victim

78% 9% 13% 80% 9% 11% 79% 6% 15%

71%

53%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response Investigation

26% 74%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative

Response Investigation

68% 32%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response Investigation

48% 52%

While 71 percent of children received an alternative response for their initial report, 

15 percent of these children received an alternative response following a second report 

within 6 months of the first. Among those children found to be victims following an 

 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 45

Findings from NCANDS 

13 Approximately 6 percent of children had a history of family violence and 15 percent had evidence of

caretaker substance abuse, so the percentage of children without such risk factors who received an

alternative response mirrors the percentage in the full dataset. 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 46 

Findings from NCANDS 

investigation, 11 percent were referred to alternative response following a subsequent 

report. Among those children found not to be victims following an investigation, 

13 percent were subsequently referred to alternative response. 

While 53 percent of children with an investigation were found to be victims, among these 

victims, 74 percent of those with a subsequent investigation within 6 months were again 

found to be victims. Among children with an initial alternative response, 52 percent who 

experienced a subsequent investigation were found to be victims, while only 32 percent 

of nonvictims were found to be victims following a subsequent investigation. 

Table D–1. Age of Child by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Age of Child 

N % N % N % 

Age 1 or Younger 3,756 67% 1,816 33% 5,572 100% 

Age 1 to 3 7,602 69% 3,461 31% 11,063 100% 

Age 4 to 7 11,632 70% 5,041 30% 16,673 100% 

Age 8 to 11 12,205 72% 4,771 28% 16,976 100% 

Age 12 to 15 11,010 72% 4,185 28% 15,195 100% 

Age 16 or older 3,889 73% 1,404 27% 5,293 100% 

Missing Age 11 79% 3 21% 14 0% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 

Table D–2. Race of Child by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Race of Child 

N % N % N % 

American Indian 70 61% 44 39% 114 100% 

African-American 16,901 67% 8,226 33% 25,127 100% 

Asian 405 69% 186 31% 591 100% 

White 21,359 73% 8,067 27% 29,426 100% 

Hispanic 2,558 72% 981 28% 3,539 100% 

Multiracial 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Unknown Race 8,812 74% 3,177 26% 11,989 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 47 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table D–3. Sex of Child by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Sex of Child Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses 

Victim N % N % N % 

Boys 25,082 71% 10,337 29% 35,419 100% 

Girls 24,842 71% 10,282 29% 35,124 100% 

Unknown Sex 181 74% 62 26% 243 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 

Table D–4. Prior Victimization of Child by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Prior Victimization of 

Child N % N % N % 

Prior Victimization 25,497 71% 10,508 29% 36,005 100% 

No Prior Victimization 24,608 71% 10,173 29% 34,781 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 

Table D–5. Report Source by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Report Source 

N % N % N % 

Social Services, Medical, or Mental 

Health Personnel 7,554 69% 3,472 31% 11,026 100% 

Legal, Law Enforcement, or Criminal 

Justice Personnel 7,261 63% 4,311 37% 11,572 100% 

Education Personnel 11,820 73% 4,276 27% 16,096 100% 

Day Care 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Substitute Care 457 47% 513 53% 970 100% 

Alleged Victim 652 73% 244 27% 896 100% 

Parent, Other Relative, 

Friends/Neighbor 11,018 75% 3,690 25% 14,708 100% 

Alleged Perpetrator 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Anonymous Reporter 6,862 72% 2,693 28% 9,555 100% 

Other, Unknown, or Missing 4,481 75% 1,482 25% 5,963 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 48 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table D–6. Living Arrangement of Child by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Living Arrangement 

N % N % N % 

With Family 45,515 71% 18,363 29% 63,878 100% 

Relative Foster Care 2,603 71% 1,038 29% 3,641 100% 

Non Relative Foster Care 474 60% 321 40% 795 100% 

Institution 585 53% 515 47% 1,100 100% 

Other or Unknown 928 68% 444 32% 1,372 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 

Table D–7. Number of Children in Report by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Number of Children 

in Report N % N % N % 

1 12,308 61% 7,925 39% 20,233 100% 

2 15,846 75% 5,152 25% 20,998 100% 

3 11,934 75% 3,906 25% 15,840 100% 

4 7,212 75% 2,412 25% 9,624 100% 

5 1,635 70% 690 30% 2,325 100% 

6 690 69% 306 31% 996 100% 

7 245 64% 140 36% 385 100% 

8 128 62% 80 38% 208 100% 

9 or more children 107 60% 70 40% 177 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 

Table D–8. Maltreatment Type by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Maltreatment Type 

N % N % N % 

Physical Abuse 1,175 39% 1,831 61% 3,006 100% 

Neglect 339 6% 5,134 94% 5,473 100% 

Sexual Abuse 132 16% 701 84% 833 100% 

Other/Emotional 

Maltreatment 43,597 94% 2,840 6% 46,437 100% 

Multiple Maltreatment 4,862 95% 280 5% 5,142 100% 

No Maltreatment 0 0% 9,895 100% 9,895 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 49 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table D–9. Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Caretaker Substance Abuse 

N % N % N % 

Alcohol Abuse 2,679 87% 402 13% 3,081 100% 

Drug Abuse 5,690 79% 1,536 21% 7,226 100% 

Both Drug Abuse and Alcohol 

Abuse 480 85% 83 15% 563 100% 

None or Unknown 41,256 69% 18,660 31% 59,916 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 

Table D–10. Family Violence by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Family Violence N % N % N % 

Record of Family Violence 3,842 91% 383 9% 4,225 100% 

No Record of Family 

Violence 46,263 70% 20,298 30% 66,561 100% 

Total 50,105 71% 20,681 29% 70,786 100% 

Table D–11. Services Provided by Response, New Jersey 

(n = 70,786) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Services Provided 

N % N % N % 

In-Home Services 36,475 73% 6,948 34% 43,423 61% 

Foster Care 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Both In-Home Services and 

Foster Care 2,620 5% 2,703 13% 5,323 8% 

No Services Provided 11,010 22% 11,030 53% 22,040 31% 

Total 50,105 100% 20,681 100% 70,786 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 50 

Findings from NCANDS 

 

APPENDIX E 

CASE STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE SYSTEM: 

OKLAHOMA 

During 2002, 68,971 children received dispositions in Oklahoma. Eighty percent of these 

children had been referred to the investigation track and 20 percent had received an 

alternative response. 

Background 

When a report of child maltreatment is made in Oklahoma, child welfare workers, with 

supervisor approval, make a decision about whether a report is handled as an assessment 

or an investigation. If there is doubt whether an assessment or investigation is more 

appropriate, then an investigation is conducted. Assessments and investigations are given 

equal priority. An assessment is conducted when the allegations in the report do not 

indicate a serious and immediate threat to a child’s health or safety, but rather suggest 

inadequate parenting or life management. An assessment is intended to encourage 

families to participate in addressing safety concerns. An investigation is conducted when 

the allegations in the report indicate there is serious and immediate risk of harm to the 

child as indicated by dangerous parenting practices or actions. If a worker begins an 

assessment and then determines that the family situation falls within the guidelines for an 

investigation, then that same worker immediately initiates an investigation. 

All reports in the assessment track are given the disposition of alternative response–

nonvictim in the NCANDS data submission. Reports in the investigation track are given 

dispositions of substantiated, unsubstantiated, or closed with no finding.

Trends 

The annual number of children who experienced reports of maltreatment to the CPS 

system in Oklahoma increased from 2000 to 2002, after remaining constant between 

1998 and 2000. (See figure E–1.) The percentage of children who were found to be 

victims decreased between 1998 and 2000, and then remained constant in the subsequent 

2 years, with an overall decrease of 17 percent. The number of children found not to be 

victims increased 30 percent during this same period. During 1998 and 1999, Oklahoma 

reported approximately 12,000 children with other dispositions.14 Beginning in 2000, 

when alternative response was introduced on the NCANDS reporting form, Oklahoma 

reported between 11,000 and 14,000 as receiving alternative response each year. 

Characteristics of the Children 

In general age, sex, and race did not distinguish those Oklahoma children who were 

referred to alternative response from those who received investigations. While the overall 

rate of referral alterative response was approximately 20 percent, 22 percent of infants 

younger than age 1, and 25 percent of children age 16 or older, were referred to 

14 These other dispositions were not alternative response; they included “uncertain,” a disposition made 

when an investigation was completed, but there was still insufficient information to confirm or rule out the 

maltreatment. 
alternative response. Approximately 25 percent of Asian children were referred to 

alternative response, compared with 18 percent of African-American and 18 percent of 

Hispanic children. 

Figure E–1. Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Oklahoma 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Children in Maltreatment Reports

Other

Disposition

Alternative

Response

Investigation

- Nonvictim

Investigation

- Victim

Characteristics of the Reported Maltreatment

While overall 20 percent of reported children received an alternative response, children

whose maltreatment was alleged by their parents (24%) and anonymous reporters (27%) 

were more likely than others to be referred to alternative response. Children were less

likely to be referred to alternative response if their maltreatment was reported by social 

services, medical or mental health personnel (16%), law enforcement or legal personnel 

(16%), day care workers (14%), or alleged victims (15%). 

Children with all types of reported maltreatment were referred to alternative response,

although a higher percentage of children for whom the only reported maltreatment was 

emotional maltreatment (28%) or neglect or medical neglect (25%) was referred to 

alternative response, while 15 percent of children for whom physical abuse was the only 

reported maltreatment were referred to alternative response. Among children with reports 

of multiple types of maltreatment, 11 percent were referred to alternative response. Only 

4 percent of children with reported sexual abuse were referred to alternative response.

Children whose caretakers had a history of drug abuse were less likely to be referred to 

alternative response (7%) than children with no history of caretaker drug abuse (20%).15

 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 51

Findings from NCANDS 

15 Less than 1 percent of children had a recorded history of caretaker substance abuse, so the percentage of 

children without this risk factor who received an alternative response mirrors the percentage in the full 

dataset. 
Services 

In Oklahoma, provision of in-home services was almost equally likely in families who 

received an alternative response (56%) and those who received an investigation (57%). 

Only a small percentage of children were referred to foster care; these were almost all 

children for whom investigations had been conducted. 

Subsequent Responses by CPS 

In Oklahoma, the likelihood of receiving a second response within 6 months of the first 

was lower among children whose first response was alternative (13%) than among those 

who received an investigation and were found to be victims (22%) and those who 

received and investigation and were found not to be victims (17%). (See figure E–2.) 

Figure E–2. Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Oklahoma 

Initial Report

Subsequent Report within 6 Months

All Children in 

Maltreatment 

Reports

28,171

Alternative 

Response

79%

Investigation

73%

Nonvictim Victim

83% 15% 2%

78% 20%

2% 86% 9% 4%

21%

27%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative

Response Investigation

52% 48%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response Investigation

77% 23%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response Investigation

74% 26%

While 21 percent of children received an alternative response for their initial report, 

4 percent of these children received a second alternative response within 6 months. 

Among those children found to be either victims or nonvictims following an 

investigation, 2 percent were referred to alternative response following a subsequent 

report. 

While 27 percent of children with an initial investigation were found to be victims, 

48 percent of these victims who experienced a subsequent investigation were again found 

to be victims. A comparable percentage were found to be victims among children with an 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 52

Findings from NCANDS 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 53 

Findings from NCANDS 

initial alternative response and subsequent investigation (26%) and nonvictims with a 

subsequent investigation (23%). 

Table E–1. Age of Child by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Age of Child 

N % N % N % 

Age 1 or Younger 1,828 22% 6,315 78% 8,143 100% 

Age 1 to 3 2,721 19% 11,766 81% 14,487 100% 

Age 4 to 7 3,133 19% 13,449 81% 16,582 100% 

Age 8 to 11 3,005 21% 11,540 79% 14,545 100% 

Age 12 to 15 2,475 21% 9,453 79% 11,928 100% 

Age 16 or older 808 25% 2,478 75% 3,286 100% 

Missing Age 1,828 22% 6,315 78% 8,143 100% 

Total 13,970 20% 55,001 80% 68,971 100% 

Table E–2. Race of Child by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Race of Child 

N % N % N % 

American Indian 1,898 21% 7,346 79% 9,244 100% 

African-American 1,456 18% 6,840 82% 8,296 100% 

Asian 98 25% 302 76% 400 100% 

White 9,082 21% 34,418 79% 43,500 100% 

Hispanic 994 18% 4,534 82% 5,528 100% 

Multiracial 127 12% 903 88% 1,030 100% 

Unknown Race 315 32% 658 68% 973 100% 

Total 13,970 20% 55,001 80% 68,971 100% 

Table E–3. Sex of Child by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Sex of Child Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses 

Victim N % N % N % 

Boys 7,071 21% 27,009 79% 34,080 100% 

Girls 6,815 20% 27,856 80% 34,671 100% 

Unknown Sex 84 38% 136 62% 220 100% 

Total 13,970 20% 55,001 80% 68,971 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 54 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table E–4. Prior Victimization of Child by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Prior Victimization of 

Child N % N % N % 

Prior Victimization 287 7% 3,862 93% 4,149 100% 

No Prior Victimization 13,683 21% 51,139 79% 64,822 100% 

Total 13,970 20% 55,001 80% 68,971 100% 

Table E–5. Report Source by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Report Source 

N % N % N % 

Social Services, Medical, or Mental 

Health Personnel 3,028 16% 15,679 84% 18,707 100% 

Legal, Law Enforcement, or Criminal 

Justice Personnel 1,270 16% 6,746 84% 8,016 100% 

Education Personnel 1,313 20% 5,146 80% 6,459 100% 

Day Care 175 14% 1,080 86% 1,255 100% 

Substitute Care 12 4% 277 96% 289 100% 

Alleged Victim 69 15% 382 85% 451 100% 

Parent, Other Relative, 

Friends/Neighbor 5,195 24% 16,259 76% 21,454 100% 

Alleged Perpetrator 6 8% 74 93% 80 100% 

Anonymous Reporter 493 27% 1,367 73% 1,860 100% 

Other, Unknown, or Missing 2,409 23% 7,991 77% 10,400 100% 

Total 13,970 20% 55,001 80% 68,971 100% 

Table E–6. Number of Children in Report by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Number of Children 

in Report N % N % N % 

1 4,408 20% 17,848 80% 22,256 100% 

2 4,236 22% 15,142 78% 19,378 100% 

3 2,946 20% 11,427 80% 14,373 100% 

4 1,408 19% 6,084 81% 7,492 100% 

5 610 19% 2,610 81% 3,220 100% 

6 192 14% 1,164 86% 1,356 100% 

7 91 16% 462 84% 553 100% 

8 40 23% 136 77% 176 100% 

9 or more children 39 23% 128 77% 167 100% 

Total 13,970 20% 55,001 80% 68,971 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 55 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table E–7. Maltreatment Type by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Maltreatment Type 

N % N % N % 

Physical Abuse 828 15% 4,677 85% 5,505 100% 

Neglect 11,195 25% 34,221 75% 45,416 100% 

Sexual Abuse 76 4% 1,683 96% 1,759 100% 

Other/Emotional 

Maltreatment 225 28% 575 72% 800 100% 

Multiple Maltreatment 1,646 11% 13,845 89% 15,491 100% 

No Maltreatment 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Total 13,970 20% 55,001 80% 68,971 100% 

Table E–8. Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Caretaker Substance Abuse 

N % N % N % 

Alcohol Abuse 27 16% 147 84% 174 100% 

Drug Abuse 8 5% 153 95% 161 100% 

Both Drug Abuse and Alcohol 

Abuse 17 9% 163 91% 180 100% 

None or Unknown 13,918 20% 54,538 80% 68,456 100% 

Total 13,970 20% 55,001 80% 68,971 100% 

Table E–9. Services Provided by Response, Oklahoma 

(n = 68,971) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Services Provided 

N % N % N % 

In-Home Services 7,840 56% 27,183 49% 35,023 51% 

Foster Care 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Both In-Home Services and 

Foster Care 38 0% 4,614 8% 4,652 7% 

No Services Provided 6,092 44% 23,204 42% 29,296 42% 

Total 13,970 100% 55,001 100% 68,971 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 56 

Findings from NCANDS 

APPENDIX F 

CASE STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE SYSTEM: 

WYOMING 

During 2002, 4,355 children in reports of maltreatment received dispositions in 

Wyoming. Of these children, 42 percent received investigations and 58 percent received 

an alternative response. 

Background 

In Wyoming, cases referred to the CPS agency are referred to one of three tracks. The 

investigation track is used to determine if abuse or neglect took place and provide 

interventions designed to stop abuse when it’s discovered. The prevention track is used 

for referrals in which there are no allegations of abuse or neglect, but there are identified 

risk factors that might indicate the need for services to prevent abuse or neglect. The 

assessment track is used for cases that do not involve a major injury, fatality, sexual 

abuse, criminal charges, or situations in which children are in imminent danger and need 

to be removed from the home. Assessment services are used to evaluate family strengths 

and needs, determine whether there are safety issues to be resolved, and to provide 

services to families to increase their ability to resolve foreseeable risks to the child. 

All reports in the assessment track were given the disposition of alternative response–

nonvictim in the NCANDS data submission. Reports in the investigation track were 

given dispositions of substantiated or unsubstantiated. 

Trends 

The number of children who were the subjects of maltreatment reports in Wyoming 

increased from 1998 to 2002. With the introduction of alternative response in the 

NCANDS reporting during 2001, the number of victims and nonvictims resulting from 

investigation—which had increased between 1998 and 2000—decreased in 2002 to a 

level below the 1998 level; The number of victims decreased by 14 percent and 

nonvictims by 18 percent. (See figure F–1.) 

Characteristics of the Children 

In Wyoming, the proportion of children being referred to alternative response increased 

with each age group from infants (39% referred to alternative response) to age 

8–11 years olds (66%), and then leveled off for children age 12 and older. Among boys, 

60 percent were referred to alternative response, as were 56 percent of girls. In Wyoming, 

an overall 58 percent of children were referred to alternative response; the percentage 

was slightly lower for White (57%), African-American (52%), and Hispanic (54%) 

children. The likelihood of referral to alternative response was highest for American 

Indian children (77%) and lowest for Asian children (22%). 
Figure F–1. Children in Maltreatment Reports by Response, 1998–2002, Wyoming 

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Children in Maltreatment Reports

Other

Disposition

Alternative

Response

Investigation

- Nonvictim

Investigation

- Victim

Characteristics of the Reported Maltreatment

Children whose maltreatment was alleged by law enforcement or legal personnel (44%), 

day care workers (38%), or alleged perpetrators (40%) were less likely to be referred to 

alternative response. Children whose maltreatment was alleged by educational personnel 

were more likely than others (70%) to be referred to alternative response. Children living 

with their immediate families had the highest chance of being referred to alternative

response (64%), while lesser proportions of children living in relative foster care (47%), 

nonrelative foster care (35%), or in institutional settings (40%), were referred to 

alternative response. The likelihood of referral to alternative response increased steadily 

with the number of children in the report; children who were alone in the report had the 

lowest likelihood of being referred to alternative response (27%). 

Only children for whom the reported maltreatment was “other” were referred to 

alternative response; all children with other maltreatment were referred to alternative 

response. All other children were referred to investigation. The small number of children 

whose reports indicated a history of family violence, or a history of caretaker substance 

abuse, were all referred to investigation. 

Services 

In Wyoming, for the majority of children and all of the children who received alternative 

response, no provision of services beyond the alternative response itself was reported. In 

a small percentage of investigation cases, provision of in-home services or foster care 

services were reported. 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 57

Findings from NCANDS 
Subsequent Responses by CPS 

In Wyoming, the likelihood of receiving a second response within 6 months of the first 

was comparable among children whose first response was alternative response (17%), 

those who received an investigation and were found to be victims (15%), and those who 

received an investigation and were found not to be victims (15%). (See figure F–2.) 

Figure F–2. Subsequent Response Within 6 Months, by Initial Response, Wyoming 

Initial Report

Subsequent Report within 6 Months

All Children in

Maltreatment

Reports

1,995

Alternative 

Response

42%

Investigation

65%

Nonvictim Victim

85% 9% 6%

85% 11%

4% 83% 6% 11%

58%

35%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative

Response Investigation

23% 77%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative 

Response Investigation

55% 45%

None

Nonvictim Victim

Alternative

Response

Investigation

56% 44%

While 58 percent of children received an alternative response for their initial report, 

11 percent of these children received a subsequent alternative response within 6 months. 

Among those children found to be victims following an investigation, 4 percent were 

subsequently referred to alternative response. Among those children found not to be 

victims following an investigation, 6 percent were referred to alternative response. 

While 35 percent of children with an initial investigation were found to be victims, 

77 percent of these victims who experienced a subsequent investigation were again found 

to be victims. A comparable percentage were found to be victims among children with an 

initial alternative response and subsequent investigation (44%) and nonvictims with a 

subsequent investigation (45%). 

Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 58

Findings from NCANDS 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 59 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table F–1. Age of Child by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Age of Child 

N % N % N % 

Age 1 or Younger 124 39% 191 61% 315 100% 

Age 1 to 3 441 50% 447 50% 888 100% 

Age 4 to 7 622 58% 450 42% 1,072 100% 

Age 8 to 11 662 66% 340 34% 1,002 100% 

Age 12 to 15 514 62% 309 38% 823 100% 

Age 16 or older 164 64% 91 36% 255 100% 

Missing Age 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 

Table F–2. Race of Child by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Race of Child 

N % N % N % 

American Indian 115 77% 34 23% 149 100% 

African-American 38 52% 35 48% 73 100% 

Asian 2 22% 7 78% 9 100% 

White 1,967 57% 1,494 43% 3,461 100% 

Hispanic 160 54% 136 46% 296 100% 

Multiracial 6 60% 4 40% 10 100% 

Unknown Race 239 67% 118 33% 357 100% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 

Table F–3. Sex of Child by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Sex of Child Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses 

Victim N % N % N % 

Boys 1,308 60% 873 40% 2,181 100% 

Girls 1,213 56% 951 44% 2,164 100% 

Unknown Sex 6 60% 4 40% 10 100% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 60 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table F–4. Report Source by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Report Source 

N % N % N % 

Social Services, Medical, or Mental 

Health Personnel 277 53% 249 47% 526 100% 

Legal, Law Enforcement, or Criminal 

Justice Personnel 321 44% 407 56% 728 100% 

Education Personnel 642 70% 281 30% 923 100% 

Day Care 34 38% 55 62% 89 100% 

Substitute Care 2 67% 1 33% 3 100% 

Alleged Victim 21 58% 15 42% 36 100% 

Parent, Other Relative, 

Friends/Neighbor 754 61% 479 39% 1,233 100% 

Alleged Perpetrator 2 40% 3 60% 5 100% 

Anonymous Reporter 218 66% 111 34% 329 100% 

Other, Unknown, or Missing 256 53% 227 47% 483 100% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 

Table F–5. Living Arrangement of Child by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Living Arrangement 

N % N % N % 

With Family 2,140 64% 1,189 36% 3,329 100% 

Relative Foster Care 66 47% 73 53% 139 100% 

Non Relative Foster Care 221 35% 411 65% 632 100% 

Institution 95 40% 145 60% 240 100% 

Other or Unknown 5 33% 10 67% 15 100% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 

Table F–6. Number of Children in Report by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Number of Children 

in Report N % N % N % 

1 348 27% 955 73% 1,303 100% 

2 720 64% 406 36% 1,126 100% 

3 732 72% 282 28% 1,014 100% 

4 372 76% 116 24% 488 100% 

5 200 80% 50 20% 250 100% 

6 96 89% 12 11% 108 100% 

7 42 86% 7 14% 49 100% 

8 8 100% 0 0% 8 100% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment 61 

Findings from NCANDS 

Table F–7. Maltreatment Type by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Maltreatment Type 

N % N % N % 

Physical Abuse 0 0% 164 100% 164 100% 

Neglect 0 0% 382 100% 382 100% 

Sexual Abuse 0 0% 82 100% 82 100% 

Other/Emotional 

Maltreatment 2,527 100% 2 0% 2,529 100% 

Multiple Maltreatment 0 0% 62 100% 62 100% 

No Maltreatment 0 0% 1,136 100% 1,136 100% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 

Table F–8. Drug and Alcohol Use by Caretaker by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Caretaker Substance Abuse 

N % N % N % 

Alcohol Abuse 0 0% 96 100% 96 100% 

Drug Abuse 0 0% 103 100% 103 100% 

Both Drug Abuse and Alcohol 

Abuse 0 0% 102 100% 102 100% 

None or Unknown 2,527 62% 1,527 38% 4,054 100% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 

Table F–9. Family Violence by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Family Violence N % N % N % 

Record of Family Violence 0 0% 152 100% 152 100% 

No Record of Family 

Violence 2,527 60% 1,676 40% 4,203 100% 

Total 2,527 58% 1,828 42% 4,355 100% 

Table F–10. Services Provided by Response, Wyoming 

(n = 4,355) 

Alternative Response Investigation Total Responses Services Provided 

N % N % N % 

In-Home Services 0 0% 101 6% 101 2% 

Foster Care 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 

Both In-Home Services and 

Foster Care 0 0% 247 14% 247 6% 

No Services Provided 2,527 100% 1,480 81% 4,007 92% 

Total 2,527 100% 1,828 100% 4,355 100%