National expert: states remove children at very different rates; emergency removals have grown

Topeka, Kan. — Christopher Church, senior director of strategic consulting at Casey Family Programs, told the Joint Committee on Child Welfare System Oversight on June 2 that national research shows wide disparities between states in how often children are removed from their parents’ custody — disparities that cannot be explained by underlying community need alone.

Church briefed lawmakers on the “front door” of the child-welfare system: what happens from the moment an individual reports suspected maltreatment until officials decide whether to remove a child. He urged the committee to embrace policies that reduce unnecessary investigations and avoid traumatizing families while still protecting children at imminent risk.

Key points from Church’s presentation: - National…