Predictors of maltreatment recurrence at two milestones in the life of a case

Reports findings from 2 studies that examined the usefulness of the Illinois Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol (CERAP) for predicting short-term maltreatment recurrence. The CERAP is a safety assessment tool designed to guide worker decision-making throughout the life of a case and is completed at several critical case milestones. 2 milestones were chosen - within 24 hours after a CPS investigator sees the alleged victim and within 5 days of case opening (for services to intact families) - for analysis in separate studies. For each study, a case control design was used in which a sample of families who experienced an indicated report of maltreatment recurrence within 60 days of CERAP completion was compared to a sample of families who did not experience maltreatment recurrence. Results indicated that some predictors of maltreatment recurrence varied depending on the milestone examined, while others were predictive at both milestones. (Original abstract - amended)