Racialized perceptions and child neglect

► We model racialized perceptions of child protective service (CPS) workers. ► We examine the impact of visualizing racial situations on CPS workers' perceptions. ► CPS workers exhibit racialized beliefs about definitions and reporting of neglect. ► We construct an index of racialized beliefs and perceptions at the county level. ► Indexed beliefs strongly predict disproportionalities in reported maltreatment.