This study aims to 1) compare the frequency of protective factors against child maltreatment among new mothers with and without individual risk factors for abuse, by levels of cumulative risk, and by race/ethnicity, and 2) determine which protective and risk factors and which combination of factors are most associated with voluntary engagement in the home visiting.

Study results should provide better clarity on how well (or not well) home visiting is engaging families at the greatest risk for abuse and their capacity to benefit from programming. In turn, our results should be able to inform recruitment strategies and possibly improve the efficacy of home visiting in the future.