<p>Child abuse and neglect (CA&amp;N) is consistently associated with poorer cognitive and socioemotional development, key domains for school readiness. This study examined how documented CA&amp;N reports and specific subtypes (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and neglect), relate to school readiness indicators, within different school socioeconomic status (SES). We analyzed school readiness assessment records from 868 preschool-aged children (<i>M</i>_age = 5.0 years) with CA&amp;N reports to child protection services before, after or during preschool. These children were matched 1:1 with a comparison group (<i>n</i> = 868) without documented maltreatment experiences, based on age, gender, and school information. Children with CA&amp;N histories showed significantly lower readiness scores across multiple domains than the comparison group. Children with reports of sexual abuse exhibited higher levels of internalizing behaviors (<i>d</i> = − 0.527; <i>p</i> &lt; .001); children with neglect reports showed moderate differences, particularly in cognitive skills (<i>d</i> = 0.362 to 0.514; <i>p</i> &lt; .001). The findings highlight distinct patterns of school readiness indicators among children with different types of documented maltreatment experiences. These associations suggest the importance of developmentally sensitive, subtype-informed approaches in early educational and psychosocial support. Programs serving children with CA&amp;N histories —especially those in socioeconomically vulnerable settings— may benefit from differentiated strategies that respond to observed developmental indicators, rather than a one-size-fits-all model.</p>