All children in the NSW-CDS study who experienced maltreatment in the first five years of their life were at a heightened risk of developmental vulnerabilities at school entry.

Children who were first reported to child protection services between 0-18 months old were more likely to have multiple developmental vulnerabilities, relative to children who received their first report after this age. Children placed in OOHC and those with substantiated risk of significant harm reports were more likely to have multiple developmental vulnerabilities, relative to children with no previous child protection responses. Targeted early intervention is needed at the earliest sign of childhood maltreatment to mitigate future developmental difficulties.