Differential response to child abuse and neglect in Illinois

In 2009, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) began a pilot program and evaluation of one of the latest approaches to serving lower-risk children referred into the child welfare system (differential response). This intervention approach connects low-risk households to community services, and is voluntary. This report provides an overview of the practice, its effectiveness, and future policy needs.

Seventeen states are implementing differential response in full, and another 13 had a program that included at least some components. Illinois just ended a five-year pilot program. The full evaluation is expected in 2013.

In Illinois and the nation, child protective services face a continual tension between keeping children safe and keeping families intact. Differential response represents the most recent shift in child welfare practice to help address this tension, recognizing that families differ in their level of risk and needed response. However, the impact of this program for not only families, but also state governments, is only partially understood.