Evaluation of the Transfer of Responsibility for Child Protective Services to Law Enforcement in Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties, Florida, 1995-2001

In 1998 Florida law required that the responsibility for
child maltreatment investigations be transferred from a statewide
child welfare agency to the sheriff's offices in Manatee, Pasco, and
Pinellas Counties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes
produced by this change. This study used a nonequivalent control
group design. Performance in Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties was
compared to performance in selected counties before and after the
change in service took place. Data were obtained from the Florida
Abuse Hotline Information System (FAHIS), an online data system that
contained records of all reported incidents of abuse and neglect in
the state of Florida.