NJ Child Welfare Data Hub
Welcome to the New Jersey Child Welfare Data Hub, a collaboration between the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and the Institute for Families at the Rutgers University School of Social Work. The Data Hub seeks to improve the lives of children and families by disseminating New Jersey child welfare and well-being data.
About the Data Hub
The New Jersey Child Welfare Data Hub was developed collaboratively by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and the Institute for Families at Rutgers University School of Social Work. Built upon the principles of transparency and accountability, the Data Hub seeks to improve the lives of children and families by making New Jersey child welfare and well-being data available to the public.
We hope insight gained from this data sparks innovation, improves the public’s interaction with and understanding of New Jersey’s child and family serving systems, enlightens policymaking, and advances advocacy for children and families.
About Us: The Rutgers Institute for Families
The Rutgers Institute for Families, part of the Rutgers University School of Social Work, serves as an independent third-party for reporting data from the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and others.
The Institute for Families was founded in April 2015 with a mission to improve the well-being of children, adolescents, and families served by child welfare and related systems through innovative and collaborative research, education, and service that advances policy and practice. Our partner, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, is the state’s first cabinet-level department dedicated to ensuring the safety, well-being and success of children and families. Together, we hope to achieve a greater understanding of children and families who become involved with the state’s child welfare, behavioral health and disability systems.
Data Portal
The New Jersey Child Welfare Data Portal, developed collaboratively between the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and the Rutgers Institute for Families, allows users to retrieve New Jersey data on the well-being and welfare of children in a new way. The Data Portal allows users to explore key indicators of child well-being through customizable visualization and query tools. After selecting a measure, users can select variables to gain further insight into the report. In addition, users can selectively filter the variables, retrieving data in exactly the way they need.
Data Map
Developed by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and the Rutgers Institute for Families, the New Jersey Child Welfare Data Map was the first of several child welfare and well-being data visualization and query tools planned for the site. Our goal is to better understand how children and families interact with New Jersey’s children’s system of care, and its child welfare system. The Data Map allows users to explore key child welfare and well-being measures, population characteristics, and socioeconomic variables at the state- and county-level. The Data Map provides social and economic context, helping users explore the complex interaction between social environments and the children and families served by New Jersey’s children’s system of care and child welfare systems.
About the Data
Data presented on this site is provided by governmental and non-profit sources. Data is provided both by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, and Children’s System of Care, two Divisions of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. Population characteristics and socioeconomic variable data are generated by the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the New Jersey Substance Abuse Monitoring System, the Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Data, and the NJ Department of Education. Data is updated on a quarterly basis. Outcome Measures are updated semi-annually.
Using the Site
The Data Portals and Data Maps on this site allow users to select from a menu of CP&P and CSOC reports. Information about the reports and variables are provided in each section of the Data Hub. Users can select the "Variable Definitions" link at the bottom of this page, "How is this Defined" link within each Data Portal report, or hover over report titles when viewing Data Maps.
The video tutorial provides additional information about the NJ Child Welfare Data Hub, including its purpose and navigation. To jump to a topic of interest, use the Menu icon in the video’s upper left corner.
Contact Us
For questions regarding functionality of the portal and data definitions:
The Institute for Families at the Rutgers School of Social Work: njchilddata@ssw.rutgers.edu
Other inquiries:
Communications at the Department of Children and Families: communications@dcf.nj.gov