Service Trajectories of Children Entering Residential Care
via CPS or Non-CPS Pathways (IRP)
High acuity youth are young people with severe behavioral, emotional, developmental, or medical challenges requiring intensive support. In Florida, limited specialized services have led to an overreliance on crisis interventions that do not address core needs. The state lacks a coordinated system of care to effectively support these youth. To address this gap, the Florida Institute for Child Welfare is funding a comprehensive project led by the Institute for Quality Children’s Services, featuring six subprojects aligned with the Institute’s pillars to inform strategies for developing effective services.
Children enter residential care through varying pathways that may influence service experiences in critical ways. Dr. Shamra Boel-Studt and her team at the Institute for Quality Children’s Services, received a grant from the Institute for Research on Poverty to examine service trajectories of children entering residential care via Child Protective Services (CPS) pathways and non-CPS pathways using the CCOULD dataset. The data includes Medicaid and child welfare data from Florida and Kentucky from 2016-2021.
Prior research suggests that children entering residential care through the CPS often have greater mental health needs than those who enter through non-CPS pathways. However, more research is needed to understand the long-term service trajectories of children in residential care.
The IQCS’s research project aims to analyze the distinct pathways through which children enter residential care and their subsequent service experiences over time.
By identifying trends in placement stability, service utilization, and long-term outcomes, policymakers and social workers can make informed decisions about interventions that best support children with high acuity and specialized needs and their families.
“Social work researchers are at the forefront of this evolving landscape, advocating for policy and practice that prevent custody relinquishment, increase access to essential services and improve service coordination for children with complex needs,” shared Dr. Boel-Studt.
As the research unfolds, Dr. Boel-Studt and her team at the IQCS emphasize the importance of strong research support for developing policy and practice standards to ensure every child receives the care they need.
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