Citation

Sieger MHL, Nichols C, Chasnoff IJ. Infant Child Dev. 2022; 31(3): e2309.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/icd.2309

PMID

38288357

PMCID

PMC10823434

Abstract

In May 2021, a reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) was introduced in the U.S. Senate. This reauthorization substantially amends provisions concerning infants affected by prenatal substance exposure and decidedly shifts the policy from a child safety- to a public health-focused approach to achieve the larger goals of healthy and safe child development and caregiver recovery from substance use disorder. Despite its honorable aspirations, no research has tested whether CAPTA "works". To advance scholarship on this policy, we summarize the service needs for this population and clarify how the CAPTA reauthorization aims to address these needs. We then apply a health utilization theory to understanding the mechanisms of effect on maternal-child outcomes. Based on this theoretical analysis, we discuss directions for future research.

Language: en

Keywords

Child Abuse Prevention & Treatment Act; child maltreatment prevention; infant development; parental substance use disorder; Prenatal substance exposure