Name: The Effect of Paid Family Leave on Infant Maltreatment.
Start: 2026-09-16T10:00:00-0400
End: 2026-09-16T11:30:00-0400

The Effect of Paid Family Leave on Infant Maltreatment.

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT

Highland

Child maltreatment is a pervasive problem in the United States with significant economic, health, and human capital consequences. Children under age one experience the highest rates of child abuse and neglect and the greatest likelihood of fatality from maltreatment, including shaken baby syndrome. Publicly-funded paid family leave (PFL) programs in the U.S. have been found to improve risk factors for maltreatment including increased parental time investments in children, better maternal and child health, and household income protection in the months surrounding a birth.

We examine whether state PFL programs in the U.S. affect infant maltreatment. Using administrative data on child maltreatment reports to Child Protective Services (CPS), we compare reports of infants under age 1 in PFL states to reports of infants in non-PFL states before and after PFL was implemented. We find that PFL reduced reports of infant maltreatment by about 14 percent, and home removals by about 46 percent. We also observe fewer substantiated reports by about 22 percent. These results imply PFL has spillovers to the child welfare system that should be accounted for.

Speakers

Lindsey Rose Bullinger, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Georgia Tech Carter School of Public Policy

Dr. Lindsey Bullinger is an Associate Professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, and the Associate Director of the Health Economics and Policy Innovation Collaborative (HEPIC). She is currently a Co-Editor for the Journal of Policy Analysis & Management, a Consulting Editor for Child Maltreatment, and a Criminal Justice Research Fellow at Arnold Ventures. She is also a Faculty Affiliate with the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Highland

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Georgia Conference on Child Abuse Prevention

Lindsey Rose Bullinger, Ph.D.

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Georgia Conference on Child Abuse Prevention

Lindsey Rose Bullinger, Ph.D.

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