NCJ Number
124292
Journal
State Legislatures Volume: 16 Issue: 5 Dated: (May/June 1990) Pages: 20-23
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
If child protection services in the States are to be more effective in addressing child abuse, increased funding is required, along with intensive family services that do not require removal of the child from the home.
Abstract
Inadequate funding, lack of services for children and families, high turnover rates among child protection services workers, lack of training, and huge caseloads are some of the reasons child abuse is not being adequately addressed in the States. Michigan representative Debbie Stabenow believes part of the solution lies in preventing legal intervention. Typically, access to a State's child protection services requires an allegation of child abuse, followed by legal procedures to remove the child from the family. Stabenow believes the majority of parents are not psychopathic child abusers, but they need services in time of crisis to reduce the risk of child abuse. This involves early identification of parents at risk of becoming abusers. Programs that match parent volunteers with parents of newborns to provide services for parents through the child's first year help parents to develop constructive ways of handling stress.