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An algorithm that screens for child neglect raises concerns

(AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin) (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin) People walk to the Family Law Center in Pittsburgh, Thursday, March 17, 2022. Child welfare officials in Allegheny County say the cutting-edge algorithmic tool – which is capturing attention around the country – uses data to support agency workers as they try to protect children from neglect. The nuanced term can include everything from inadequate housing to poor hygiene. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Case work supervisor Jessie Schemm looks over the first screen of software used by workers who field calls at an intake call screening center for the Allegheny County Children and Youth Services, in Penn Hills, Pa. Child welfare officials in the county say the cutting-edge algorithmic tool – which is capturing attention around the country – uses data to support agency workers as they try to protect children from neglect. The nuanced term can include everything from inadequate housing to poor hygiene. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin) (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin) People walk to the Family Law Center in Pittsburgh, Thursday, March 17, 2022. Child welfare officials in Allegheny County say the cutting-edge algorithmic tool – which is capturing attention around the country – uses data to support agency workers as they try to protect children from neglect. The nuanced term that can include everything from inadequate housing to poor hygiene. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Attorney Robin Frank looks for a birthday card to send to a former client, in Pittsburgh, Thursday, March 17, 2022. A longtime family law attorney, Frank fights for parents at one of their lowest points – when they risk losing their children. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Attorney Robin Frank works in her office in Pittsburgh, Thursday, March 17, 2022. A longtime family law attorney, Frank fights for parents at one of their lowest points – when they risk losing their children. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) A sign points the way to the entrance to the office where workers field calls at an intake call screening center for the Allegheny County Children and Youth Services office in Penn Hills, Pa., on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Incidents of potential neglect are reported to Allegheny County’s child protection hotline. The reports go through a screening process where the algorithm calculates the child’s potential risk and assigns it a score. Social workers then use their discretion to decide whether to investigate those concerns. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) Workers field calls at an intake call screening center for the Allegheny County Children and Youth Services office in Penn Hills, Pa. on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Incidents of potential neglect are reported to Allegheny County’s child protection hotline. The reports go through a screening process where the algorithm calculates the child’s potential risk and assigns it a score. Social workers then use their discretion to decide whether to investigate those concerns. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) Case work supervisor Jessie Schemm looks over the first screen of software used by workers who field calls at an intake call screening center for the Allegheny County Children and Youth Services, in Penn Hills, Pa. Child welfare officials in the county say the cutting-edge algorithmic tool – which is capturing attention around the country – uses data to support agency workers as they try to protect children from neglect. The nuanced term that can include everything from inadequate housing to poor hygiene. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) Attorney Robin Frank works in her office in Pittsburgh, Thursday, March 17, 2022. A longtime family law attorney, Frank fights for parents at one of their lowest points – when they risk losing their children. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The Family Law Center in Pittsburgh is seen on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Around the country, as child welfare agencies use or consider algorithmic tools like in Allegheny County, an Associated Press review has identified a number of concerns about the technology, including questions about its reliability and its potential to harden racial disparities in the child welfare system. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
An algorithm that screens for child neglect raises concerns