The Justice Department has reportedly been examining an algorithm used by one Pennsylvania county's child welfare agency to help determine which allegations of child neglect deserve a formal investigation, following a series of complaints that the algorithm is unfairly targeting parents with disabilities. While the county claims that the algorithm is intended to reduce human error in child welfare investigations, critics argue that the tool places disabled parents—who are already disproportionately investigated by child welfare agencies—at risk of unnecessary government intervention.
According to the Associated Press, in 2016, Allegheny County—where Pittsburgh is located—began using "The Allegheny Family Screening Tool," an algorithm designed to help social workers better identify which families needed to be investigated for child neglect—a broad term encompassing everything from leaving children unsupervised, to not having enough food, to frequent school absences.
