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Child Protection and Adult Crime: Using Investigator Assignment to Estimate Causal Effects of Foster Care

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: This paper uses the randomization of families to child protection investigators to estimate causal effects of foster care on adult crime. The analysis uses a new data set that links criminal justice data to child protection data in Illinois, and I find that investigators affect foster care placement. Children on the margin of placement are found to be two to three times more likely to enter the criminal justice system as adults if they were placed in foster care. One innovation describes the types of children on the margin of placement, a group that is more likely to include African Americans, girls, and young adolescents.

Source: Journal of Political Economy

DOI: 10.1086/590216

Author: Joseph J. Doyle Jr.

Language: English

Topic: Child Welfare and Adoption

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green