Strong Families

Rate of child abuse and neglect cases in Dodge & Jefferson Counties per 1,000 children

Current Value

9.48

2024

Definition

Child Maltreatment data is collected via the Wisconsin Dept. of Children and Families Child Protective Services (CPS) dashboard

The displayed rate per 1000 includes only reported cases that are screened in:

Decisions at Access include whether the report will be Screened In or Screened Out.

· Screen In: Accepting the report of alleged child maltreatement or other report for further assessment by the agency.

· Screen Out: The agency does not accept the report and no further action is required. In some cases, the agency may refer the call or the family to other services.

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Comparison

Story Behind the Curve

Patterns in the rate of child abuse and neglect in Dodge and Jefferson counties have fluctuated over the last 12 years, with a sharp decline from 14.24 per 1000 kids in 2021 to 11.35 in 2022 and a continued downward trend to 9.48 in 2024.

Contributing factors:

County participation in the Community Response Program impacts number of child maltreatment screened-in calls processed by working with families to avoid a formal screened-in assessment.

Limiting factors:

Resources at the disposal of county departments to fight child maltreatment change frequently as staffing and policy processes can be inconsistent.
Screened-in vs. Screened-out can be a judgement call by intake staff based on limited information.

Why Is This Important?

Children raised in safe, stable and nurturing environments are more likely to thrive and grow into successful adults. Risk factors for child maltreatment?

Parent or caregiver factors: Substance use, unresolved mental health issues, the young age of a parent, lack of education, difficulty bonding or nurturing with the child, prior history of child abuse, or other trauma

Family factors: Single parenting, domestic violence, and other stressful events, particularly when parents are isolated socially or lack sufficient emotional or financial support

Community and environmental factors: Neighborhood poverty, especially where families experience barriers in accessing needed services and resources

Learn more: Additional Resources|Child Abuse and Neglect|Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC

What Works

The Five for Families protective factors.

BUILD KNOWLEDGE

Promote knowledge of parenting and child development

BUILD CONNECTIONS

Foster parental resilience
Create social connections
Develop social and emotional competence of children

TRANSFORM SYSTEMS

Provide concrete supports in times of need

Strategy

Previous years’ action plans included:

Capacity building for Watertown Family Connections - a full-service family resource network with education and support for families.

Support for county-led initiatives that focus on proactive intervention to connect families to resources and support before action is taken by Child Protective Services (CPS).

Data Methodology

Rates are calculated using the total number of screened in reports of children ages 0-17 in Dodge and Jefferson Counites & the total combined population of children 0-17 in Dodge and Jefferson counties.

Population data comes from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimate database. Current listed rate used one-year old Population data as that is the most current available (E.g., 2023 rate using 2022 population estimates). Therefore, rates are subject to change as more recent census data becomes available.

*CPS report uses population data from another source, and therefore will not match up exactly with the rates on this graph.

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