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Child Welfare

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Children who live in impoverished conditions or who experience traumatic events face numerous challenges as they develop. RAND conducts research on issues that affect child welfare such as poverty, abuse and neglect, foster care, adoption, child protective services, and other government services designed to protect children and encourage family stability.

Report
Challenges in Implementing Physical Security Measures in K–12 Schools
Creating safe and secure environments is essential to supporting effective teaching and learning in America's classrooms. What are the most common challenges to physical security planning in schools?
Jun 3, 2021
Essay
How the Child-Welfare System Could Protect More Kids and Save Billions of Dollars
It costs billions of dollars each year to investigate child abuse reports, counsel and support families, and provide foster homes for kids at risk. A greater focus on preventing abuse and neglect, and on placing children with relatives rather than strangers, could improve thousands of young lives.
Apr 25, 2018

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News Release
1 in 5 Teachers Feel Carrying Gun to Class Would Make Schools Safer; More Than Half Think Armed Teachers Would Make ...
U.S. teachers are divided on whether arming themselves would make schools safer, with one in five saying they would be interested in carrying a gun to school.
May 31, 2023
Report
What Do Teachers Think About Carrying Guns to School?
U.S. teachers are divided on whether arming themselves would make schools safer. One in five feels that carrying a gun would make schools safer and would do so if allowed. More than half believe teacher-carry policies would make schools less safe. And teachers' top safety concern is bullying, not guns.
May 31, 2023
Research Brief
Domestic Abuse Prevention and Outreach Approaches for the Military Community
This study focused on identifying strategies to help prevent domestic abuse among service members and their spouses or partners before it occurs and strategies for outreach to high-risk groups that could be effective in the military environment.
May 16, 2023
Report
Preventing Domestic Abuse in the U.S. Armed Forces
Domestic abuse has severe consequences for service members, their families, and, potentially, unit readiness. What strategies could help prevent domestic abuse before it occurs and help the military with communication to reach individuals who might have risk factors for domestic abuse?
May 16, 2023
Research Brief
Labor Trafficking in the United States
The U.S. Department of State has estimated that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year to perform bonded or forced labor. The dimensions of this problem are growing, making it more challenging to study and address.
May 9, 2023
Report
Current and Future Research on Labor Trafficking in the United States
Reducing the prevalence of human trafficking is a national priority. In this report, researchers recommend a research agenda for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address labor trafficking policy and enforcement.
May 9, 2023
Blog
Truth Decay and National Security, Gun Violence, Blockading Crimea: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Truth Decay and national security, America's gun violence problem, how Ukraine could blockade Crimea, and more.
Apr 14, 2023
Report
Supporting Students in Foster Care
State and federal policymakers have passed legislation designed to promote collaboration between the education and child welfare systems with the goal of improving educational stability for youth in foster care and, in turn, their educational outcomes. But there are barriers to cross-system collaboration.
Apr 4, 2023
Blog
Violence in Schools, Neurodiversity and National Security, Drug Cartels: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on preventing school violence, dealing with drug cartels, the benefits of a neurodivergent national security workforce, and more.
Mar 31, 2023
Periodical
RAND Review: March-April 2023
The cover story describes how K-12 schools can build trust with students to increase threat reporting and strengthen school safety. The Q&A with Ashley Woo explores how restrictions on race- and gender-related topics are affecting teachers.
Mar 22, 2023
News Release
U.S. Opioid Crisis Best Viewed as Connected Ecosystem; Changing Policymakers' Approach Can Aid Solutions
The nation's opioid crisis, which kills thousands of Americans annually, is best viewed as an ecosystem where all parts of the vexing problem are interconnected, underscoring the need for holistic solutions that address the broad needs of those with substance use disorders, their families, and the communities where they live.
Mar 16, 2023
Report
America's Opioid Ecosystem
Patterns and consequences of opioid use are changing dramatically. Researchers provide a nuanced assessment of America's opioid ecosystem, highlighting how leveraging system interactions can reduce addiction, overdose, suffering, and other harms.
Mar 16, 2023
Visualization
The Ecosystem Approach to Opioid Policy
RAND researchers created a tool to help federal, state, and local policymakers better understand issues surrounding opioids as an ecosystem—and explore innovative policy ideas.
Mar 16, 2023
Essay
Preventing Violence in Schools: How to Encourage Students to Report Threats
One of the most consistent findings in research on school shootings is that someone knew an attack was possible but didn't report it. There are ways schools can encourage students to come forward when they see or hear something concerning: tip lines, training, and a lot more trust.
Mar 9, 2023
Commentary
Ways to Help Students Report Threats to Their School
When students or others don't know how to report a threat or aren't willing to do so, important opportunities to protect students may be missed. Schools receive little guidance about how to implement an effective reporting program or how to build a robust reporting culture. A recent research effort helps to fill this gap, highlighting seven key implications for school safety planning.
Sep 29, 2022
Essay
How to Prevent, Prepare for, and Respond to Mass Attacks
A new step-by-step guide can help communities prevent shootings and other mass attacks before they happen, and save lives when they do. It's written for a variety of public- and private-sector audiences—everyone from emergency responders and school officials to security personnel and community leaders.
Aug 30, 2022
Report
Supporting Individual Willingness to Report School Safety Concerns
What can states, districts, and schools do to encourage people—especially students—to report threats of school violence so that preventive action can be taken?
Aug 25, 2022
Commentary
A Toolkit for Avoiding Mass Shootings
RAND has developed an online educational toolkit to provide practical strategies and guidance on deterring, mitigating, and responding to mass attacks. Research highlights three top ways to mitigate and/or respond to mass attacks right now: through proactive prevention, relentless follow-up, and diligent preparation and training.
Jul 14, 2022
Tool
Mass Attacks Defense Toolkit
RAND researchers created this tool to advance efforts to prevent and reduce intentional, interpersonal firearm violence and public mass attacks in the United States.
May 31, 2022
Journal Article
Enhancing Early Engagement (E3) in Mental Health Services Training for Children's Advocacy Center's Victim Advocates: Feasibility Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
This feasibility study protocol describes our plans to develop, implement, and evaluate web-based and consultative training for Children's Advocacy Center Victim Advocates to enhance early engagement in evidence-based youth mental health services.
Jan 7, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Child Welfare

Topic Synonyms:
Child Protection

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Stacey Yi

Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Stacey Yi (she/her) is an assistant policy researcher at RAND and a Ph.D. student in the Community-Partnered Policy and Action stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She has an M.P.H. in health management from the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University and a B.A. in ecology…
Dionne Barnes-Proby

Senior Social Policy Researcher

Dionne Barnes-Proby is a senior social policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, director of its Summer Associate Program, a faculty member at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, and cochair of RAND's Black Employees Leading in Inclusion, Equity, Vision, and Education (BELIEVE) Employee Resource…

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