Analysis of linked longitudinal administrative data on child protection involvement for NSW families with domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug issues and mental health issues

Abstract

Families with complex needs that include domestic and family violence (DFV), alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues and mental health (MH) issues, have been identified as a national priority in Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021–2031 (Department of Social Services [DSS], 2021). These complex needs are considered key parental behavioural risk factors to children’s safety (Heward-Belle et al., 2020). What is less well understood is the degree to which these factors intersect and interact with each other within child protection and out-of-home care (Humphreys et al., 2018). Approaches to addressing DFV, AOD issues and MH issues have historically been siloed and adult-focused, with efforts shifting only recently towards examination of intersections in the context of child protection (Holly & Horvath, 2012). Moreover, our understanding of the prevalence and service needs of Australian families facing multiple risk factors and child protection involvement has been limited by a lack of studies examining comprehensive, population-level data (Wright et al., 2021). Linked administrative data provides a critical opportunity to build a broader understanding of the needs of these families and the services required to support them.