Read Our Article in the May Issue of JPHMP

When COVID-19 disrupted communities across the country, it also tested the resilience of the networks that support our most vulnerable children. A recent study by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis examined how the pandemic impacted the structure and strength of a network of 62 child and family-serving agencies in the St. Louis region. Their findings reveal important insights into what helps keep these critical partnerships strong and where they falter under pressure.

This network included members of the Parents and Children Together–St. Louis Collaborative (PACT-STL), which is a multi-agency initiative to prevent child maltreatment. Leveraging a longstanding child abuse and neglect prevention network, the Collaborative was launched in 2019 to strengthen collaboration among public health, social services, and healthcare organizations seeking to improve child and family well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted initial implementation plans after the Collaborative began. This disruption provided a unique opportunity to assess inter-organizational collaboration before and during the public health crisis.

Disruption and Decline in Network Connectivity

The team conducted social network analysis to compare the frequency of contact between organizations before and during COVID-19. Findings demonstrated that the overall number of ties between agencies dropped from 360 to 319, and network density declined from 0.19 to 0.17. Agencies were talking to each other less, and this reduction in communication disproportionately affected smaller and newer organizations and mental health organizations. Interestingly, substance abuse organizations became more connected during COVID-19, likely reflecting an increased need.

The Role of PACT-STL in Maintaining Connections

Organizations that were part of the PACT-STL Collaborative consistently showed stronger ties compared to non-members before and during the pandemic. Pre-COVID, the odds of a connection between two PACT-STL members were more than three times higher than between two non-members. While the pandemic slightly weakened this advantage, the Collaborative’s influence endured, suggesting that formalized networks such as PACT-STL can buffer against disruption.

Their network analysis findings underscore that deliberate efforts to build strategic collaboration—such as those facilitated by PACT-STL—can make a measurable difference in how agencies communicate and coordinate care, especially in times of crisis.

Opportunities for Strengthening the Network

The findings from our study suggested key strategies for strengthening interagency collaboration to prevent child maltreatment and enhance child and family well-being, particularly during public health crises:

• Expand Collaborative Membership: Bring more organizations into formal networks like the PACT-STL Collaborative—especially newer, smaller, and mental health-focused organizations.
• Invest in Communication Infrastructure: Encourage the use of virtual tools and shared data platforms can improve connectivity between cross-sector organizations in future crises.
• Foster Trust and Shared Goals: Building trust, aligning goals, and clarifying roles are essential to sustaining long-term collaboration.

While the pandemic challenged the support infrastructure for families and children, it also revealed potential pathways forward. Sustained investment in networks like PACT-STL can ensure a more coordinated, resilient response to child maltreatment prevention in both every day and extraordinary times.

Jenine K. Harris is a Professor and Chief Analytics Officer at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Professor Harris’s research focuses on diversifying the data science workforce and improving the quality of public health research through reproducible research methods.

Melissa Jonson-Reid is a Professor of Social Work at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Professor Jonson-Reid’s research focuses on child welfare, children’s public sector services and policy, interagency administrative data research, child abuse and neglect prevention research, and family violence prevention.