Using place-based data to help keep kids safe

Where a family lives can make a big difference in how that family lives.

Research has demonstrated the influence that neighborhood characteristics — for example, concentrated poverty and the degree of residential instability — have on families, children and rates of child maltreatment in a community.

To increase awareness of how and why a family’s community matters, Casey Family Programs has developed several new pages on this website and Geography Matters, a two-page overview of the utility of using geographic analysis techniques and mapping in child welfare. They provide examples of how these tools can be useful to improve system, service, family or child outcomes and inform community-building efforts.

These geographic analysis tools are one example of how using “big data” can inform our efforts to build Communities of Hope for children and families across America.

Because children and families live within the context of their surrounding communities, it is important to view child welfare data in the context of the broader geographic landscape. For example, children who experience violence in their homes are more likely to witness violence in their communities as well.

Learn more about how Casey Family Programs and other organizations across the country are using community-level data to inform their decision-making and resource allocations.