By Jeanna C., KY SEAT Member
When we think of child protection, what usually comes to mind is how child abuse and neglect is portrayed by the media. We might think of a child who is subject to harsh and unusual punishment or deprived of basic needs. This can lead us to assume that Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement exists for bad parents who do bad things to kids.
What we may not know is that there are many reasons why allegations of child abuse and neglect meet acceptance criteria for an investigation, and one I’d like to draw attention to today is “risk of harm.”
When the child welfare agency investigates a household for “risk of harm,” this means there is a suspicion that a child is likely to be harmed in the future if they remain in their current situation. But how accurate is a prediction of what hasn’t already occurred? And what are the ramifications of getting this wrong?
We all want kids to be safe. If there is one child in one awful situation where we could intervene, we’d want to, right? What needs to be considered, though, is that arbitrary and unnecessary intrusion into the lives of a family is not a necessary good. In reality, assessing for harm where there is none can actually insert harm into a family’s lives when there was none. These situations can have a profound impact on both children and parents, causing emotional distress and disrupting family life. The impact can last from temporary to lifelong, depending on the specific circumstances.
Involvement with the child welfare system should not be a coming-of-age ritual for all parents to routinely experience and casually move on from. Even if an investigation does not result in the removal of a child from the home, the experience can be very traumatizing for all involved. Families may be subjected to home visits, interviews, and drug testing. Additionally, they may also be required to participate in parenting classes or other services. Families may feel judged, scrutinized, and unsupported. They may also fear that any minor misstep could lead to their child being taken away. This affects the family’s home lives and takes a major toll on the parents’ professional and children’s educational lives.
I believe a better future is possible and every voice matters. We can and should all work together to ensure every child in Kentucky thrives and that every family behind that child has been given the proper resources to be able to make that happen.
Here are some of the ways I think we can keep kids safe and families supported:
Due process for parents
More due process rights should be granted to families subject to CPS investigations. This includes the ability to contest the accusations made against them, appeal against any decisions made by the agency, and have legal representation.
More family support
Families that are the subject of CPS investigations frequently require more assistance than they were previously getting, including help paying their bills, finding food resources, transportation, and more.
Initiating clearer standards
There should be more clarity in the criteria for intervention in “risk of harm” situations. This would make it easier to make sure that inquiries are limited to situations in which there is a real, evidenced possibility of harm to the child, as determined by current research and credible experts.
Better training for investigative workers
Our child welfare agency workers are tasked with a difficult job and deserve all the support and preparation they need for their roles to ensure they are equipped to carry out investigations in a thorough and considerate manner. Additionally, they can also benefit from more specialized, up-to-date, and on-going training on recognizing and dealing with the underlying causes of abuse and neglect.
KY SEAT, through a collaborative partnership of Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Department for Community Based Services, is a statewide council of birth parents advocating for and empowering others who have past experience with the child welfare system.
To learn more about what parents, caregivers, and youth experience throughout the child welfare system process, read this blog on Navigating the Child Welfare System for information and resources.
Photo by Anna Shvets via Pexels
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