The manifest and latent functions of differential response in child welfare

Research on differential response programs in child welfare has looked at outcomes such as client satisfaction and recurrence, but not at how agencies decide which response pathway a case goes down. Using child protection social workers’ records from British Columbia, this descriptive study examined whether cases were coded as the less intrusive family development response or as a formal investigation in line with the program’s goals, and how and why cases were later recoded. It also compared the two pathways on services provided and outcomes, and considered whether family development response is appropriate for high-risk cases.