Navigating Service Needs, Referrals, and Receipts for

The growing presence of Latino families in the U.S. child welfare system raises significant concerns regarding service adequacy. Utilizing data from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-being II (NSCAW II), this study investigates disparities in service needs, referrals, and receipts by ethnicity and nativity. While these data serve as a critical historical baseline for understanding the system prior to the major immigration policy shifts of the 2016–2020 era, our analysis reveals nuanced disparities. Compared to White families, foreign-born Latino families generally showed significantly lower service needs, supporting the "immigrant paradox". However, we identify a concerning "Domestic Violence Paradox": foreign-born Latino caregivers demonstrate significantly higher needs for domestic violence services (OR = 1.80, p < 0.05) yet experience lower service receipts for children’s behavioral and health problems. These findings underscore the need for targeted, culturally responsive interventions that address specific safety gaps while leveraging the resilience of immigrant families to ensure equitable support across the child welfare continuum. (Funding Declaration: The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.) Navigating Service Needs, Referrals, and Receipts for Latino Families in Child Protective Services