The primary reason to use caution in interpreting this study's findings has to do with the ambiguity in what constitutes abuse and neglect. Like other states in the U.S., the Illinois DCFS defines and investigates child abuse and neglect according to the Abuse and Neglected Child Reporting Act (ANCRA). The definitions in ANCRA are not perfectly clear in assisting investigators, mandated reporters, or the general public in distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate parenting. A lack of clarity in parenting that “falls beyond the pale” of what society determines to be appropriate ultimately requires reporters and professionals to use their best judgment. Any ambiguity surrounding what constitutes abuse and neglect would be expected to influence the level of consensus that is reached across multiple sources of information on child maltreatment. One specific category of maltreatment that may be especially ambiguous is neglect. Illinois law focuses on a minimum-parenting standard, which is required to provide for the basic needs of a child. There are good reasons to believe that these standards differ in many respects from community and/or cultural standards (Evans-Campbell, 2008). The usual limitations of self-report data on maltreatment should also be kept in mind when considering this study's findings, including social desirability and recall bias (Hardt and Rutter, 2004 and Tourgangeau and Yan, 2007). In the current study, recalling maltreatment is more likely to be an issue since half of the youth first entered out-of-home care before their 10th birthday. With these limitations in mind, several findings warrant further discussion.