Peer-reviewed article

Child Maltreatment Among Children in Out-of-Home Care: Secondary Analysis of NCANDS and AFCARS Data

Amy Dworsky, Svetlana Shpiegel, Julie S. McCrae · 4 Jul 2025

Abstract

This study uses data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) to examine the incidence of maltreatment among children in out-of-home care (OOHC), the nature of that maltreatment (neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or emotional maltreatment), the source of maltreatment reports, and the relationship between maltreatment in OOHC and child characteristics (i.e., age, gender, race, ethnicity, and disability). We found that 6.5% of children in OOHC in a given reporting year were the subject of a child maltreatment report and 0.9% were substantiated maltreatment victims. Children with disabilities were more likely to experience maltreatment in OOHC than children without disabilities. Children who were maltreated while in OOHC were less likely to experience neglect and emotional maltreatment and more likely to experience physical or sexual abuse than other children who were maltreated. Reports involving maltreatment of children in OOHC were less likely to be substantiated than reports involving other children regardless of the report source, maltreatment type, or child characteristics. The relevance of these findings for preventing further harm to children who have already been neglected or abused are discussed.