Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Report and Placement Integrated Data System (RAPIDS) integrates two U.S. national data systems-NCANDS' child maltreatment report (CMR) records and AFCARS' foster care (FC) records-into a single longitudinal dataset spanning 2006-2021. This integration enables comprehensive child maltreatment analysis by linking the annual files from these previously separate systems. OBJECTIVE: To explore benefits of RAPIDS data in understanding CMR outcomes. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Children aged 0-10 years with CMRs in 2018 (N = 2,371,119). METHODS: Using logistic regression, we modeled five outcomes: two current outcomes from 2018 index reports (substantiation and foster care entry) and three future outcomes within two years (re-report, substantiated re-report, and foster are entry). For each outcome, we compared models using only index report data without RAPIDS variables against models incorporating RAPIDS-enabled variables that capture longitudinal patterns across reports, placements, and siblings. RESULTS: RAPIDS data improved model performance across all outcomes, with greater gains for future outcomes. Overall model fit (Tjur's R(2)) increased for substantiation (11.75 % → 12.53 %), FC entry (4.17 % → 6.38 %), rereport (0.94 % → 4.99 %), substantiated rereport (1.04 % → 3.31 %), and future FC entry (0.85 % → 2.51 %). Predictive performance also improved: at 80 % sensitivity, specificity increased for substantiation (54 % → 56 %), FC entry (52 % → 58 %), rereport (27 % → 36 %), substantiated rereport (33 % → 42 %), and future FC entry (37 % → 49 %). Additionally, RAPIDS data enabled analysis of a wider array of predictors and their associations with outcomes, fully utilizing national longitudinal CMR and FC records. CONCLUSIONS: RAPIDS data enhance explanatory power and predictive accuracy, enabling nationwide, longitudinal analysis of CMR and FC records and offering valuable insights into risk and protective factors.