Prenatal and Infant Reports and Child Protection Involvement: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

In Australia, infants have the highest rate of child protection involvement. Many jurisdictions in Australia and internationally have introduced policies for prenatal planning and support, however little is known about outcomes of infants reported prenatally. This study is the first to use cross-jurisdictional, individual-record data to examine child protection pathways associated with prenatal and infant reports.

Citation:
Maclean MJ, Lima F, Taplin S, Marriott R, Krakouer J, O’Donnell M. Prenatal and Infant Reports and Child Protection Involvement: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Child Maltreatmet. 2025.

Keywords:
Child protective services; foster care; infants

Abstract:
In Australia, infants have the highest rate of child protection involvement. Many jurisdictions in Australia and internationally have introduced policies for prenatal planning and support, however little is known about outcomes of infants reported prenatally. This study is the first to use cross-jurisdictional, individual-record data to examine child protection pathways associated with prenatal and infant reports.