ALCANLink
Contact ALCANLink:
Senior Epidemiologist
(907) 269-8068
MCH-Epidemiology Unit
3601 C Street, Suite 358
Anchorage, AK 99503
Alaska Longitudinal Child Abuse and Neglect Linkage Project (ALCANLink)
The ALCANLink project started with a group of Alaskan children whose mothers responded to the
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey over a three year period shortly after they were born. Every year, project analysts check to see whether any of the children have been reported to child welfare or receive services from other public programs. As the children get older, we are able to calculate the percentage of children in each age group who have ever been involved with child welfare during their lifetime (“cumulative incidence”).
Using these data, we are able to explore information on pre-birth factors from their mothers’ PRAMS responses that increase or decrease the chance a child is reported to child welfare, as well as the early childhood family context of
Adverse Childhood Experiences. This work has provided clear evidence for the need for early and continued efforts to prevent child maltreatment before birth and throughout childhood.
ALCANLink project overview documents can be found on the
State
of Alaska Library Archives website.
If you’d like to take a sneak peek at some of the
ALCANLink data, you can explore the test website being developed.
How can data from ALCANLink be used?
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Describe the lifetime risk of child maltreatment among children born in Alaska
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Identify areas of child maltreatment and direct early intervention and prevention resources towards high risk individuals to reduce child welfare involvement
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Conduct predictive analytics to understand the factors that contribute to or prevent maltreatment
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Understand the cumulative impact of exposures on poor health/social outcomes
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Understand the need for prevention timing along age development trajectories
Benefits of ALCANLink
ALCANLink is a mixed-design population-based approach that leverages existing epidemiological and administrative data resources. The PRAMS data are collected in nearly all 50 states and standardized across jurisdictions making these methods both efficient and easily transferable between states. Specific benefits include:
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Cost efficient
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Leverage existing data sources
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Comprehensive data information
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Validated
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Public health focused based on the life course model
Contact:
Jared Parrish, PhDSenior Epidemiologist
(907) 269-8068
Alaska Department of Health,
Division of Public Health,
Section of Women's Children's and Family Health,
MCH-Epidemiology Unit
3601 C Street, Suite 358
Anchorage, AK 99503
