The U.S. Senate will soon consider a bill that would give states unprecedented flexibility to spend money on preventive services rather than foster care, signaling a sea-change in attitudes about child-welfare policy.
Family finances, child health and mother-child attachment are affected when a mother lacks access to paid maternity leave, according to the new research.
In neighborhoods that see the most child-welfare investigations, children hide their problems, families refuse to ask for help and chances to head off serious neglect or abuse are missed. ACS is trying to reduce the suspicion.
For years, child welfare officials have looked to better training and deeper resources to reduce mistakes in abuse and neglect investigations. But given the complexity of many cases, experts say, failure may always be part of the picture.
In the wake of two fatalities in early ’14, the de Blasio administration called for better reporting of abuse and neglect. But there is substantial doubt that child welfare investigations can root out real threats to kids’ safety.
There's growing interest in using supportive housing to help families whose children might otherwise end up in the foster-care system.
Burnout among child welfare workers hurts kids in foster care. In 2011, an effort was launched to give New York City caseworkers the support they need to stay on the job.
Child protection experts say false, malicious reports of abuse are not uncommon. Efforts to address the problem face complex challenges.
While some New York police agencies already avoid having kids witness a parent's bust and take steps to ensure care after Mom or Dad are detained, advocates say want more done to limit the effect of arrests and incarceration on children
For more than a decade national child welfare policy has encouraged timely adoptions as way to stabilize the lives of kids in foster care. But the system is challenged when a child's new home proves to be a bad fit.