This exploratory study examined the level of involvement of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applicants in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin with the child welfare system both before and after their application for TANF assistance and inclusion in the study. The study found a high level of involvement of TANF applicants with child protective services (CPS) agencies both before and after their application for TANF. Moreover, the imperfect nature of the matching process used to identify TANF applicants who had been investigated by CPS indicated that the study's numbers were in fact low estimates of the true level of involvement, with over half the sample possibly being investigated at some point by CPS. Multivariate models of the hazard of the sample's CPS involvement after TANF application revealed a set of robust correlates. (Contains 16 references.) (EV)