The Future of Child Protection
How to Break the Cycle of Abuse and Neglect
Published on 25. November 1998
Book
Hardback
292 pages
978-0-674-33811-1 (ISBN)
Description
Cases of child abuse and neglect reported in the media have led to a crisis of confidence in the current child protective services (CPS) systems in the USA, and to frequent calls for reform. Jane Waldfogel agrees that the public has a right to be concerned, but many perceptions of the CPS system and the problems it is designed to alleviate are inaccurate. This text goes beyond the headlines, using historical, comparitive, and specific case data to formulate a new approach to protecting children. Currently, Waldfogel argues, the CPS system is overwhelmed by referrals. As a result, neither high-risk nor low-risk families are adequatly served. She examines the underlying assumptions of CPS, compares the US record with those of Britain, Canada and Australia, and offers a "new paradigm" in which CPS joins with other public and private partners to provide a differential response to the broad range of children in need of protection. She highlights the reforms under way in several American states and in Britain.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
1 line illustrations, 47 tables
Dimensions
Height: 245 mm
Width: 165 mm
Weight
570 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-674-33811-1 (9780674338111)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
Part 1 Child abuse and neglect today: the role of child protective services; the demographics of children in need of protection; consequences of reporting. Part 2 A comparative perspective: operation of child protective services; sample data; criteria for reporting; procedures after reporting; differences in outcome by type of reporter; outcomes; why are US reporting rates so high?. Part 3 The current child protective services system: scope; a brief history of CPS; underlying assumptions; a critical view of the system; implications for a new paradigm. Part 4 Entry into the system: history of the reporting laws; the reporting, screening and investigation system; reforming the intake system. Part 5 Narrowing as a strategy to improve child protection: the case for narrowing; what would "narrowing" mean?; evaluating the case for narrowing; how "narrowing plus" might be accomplished; unresolved issues. Part 6 Differential response - a new paradigm for child protective services: paradigms for child protective services; the diversity and complexity of families referred to CPS; features of the differential response paradigm; moving to differential response. Part 7 Working together - child protection reform in Britain: the development of the British CPS system; the impetus for reform; the Children Act of 1989; beyond the Children Act. Part 8 Changing frontline practice: implications of the new paradigm; lessons from earlier initiatives to change frontline practice; how states and localities can help. Part 9 Reforming child protection: the current child protective services system; a new paradigm for child protection; moving toward a more fully differentiated system; improving the effectiveness of the CPS system's response; increasing the role of community partners in child protection; the endpoint of the reforms.