Chronic neglect refers to cases that are reported to child protection repeatedly. Our recent webinar speaker Dee Wilson estimates that it accounts for 1/5 to 1/3 of child protection cases nationally. Chronic neglect includes a breakdown of parental norms, for example by leaving pre-school children alone for hours or days at a time. Frequently it is accompanied by deep poverty and spirals into physical and sexual abuse. In this article Wilson states that once chronic neglect takes hold, therapy and other interventions are ineffective. So the appropriate response is intervening early with financial supports and services to restore parental functioning. However today’s adult-focused policies encourage workers to treat each maltreatment report separately and ignore the overall pattern. This, combined with political pressures to limit the role of child protection, presages a future where children are purposefully consigned to chronic neglect. Join Rich for a full discussion in this week's podcast.
Read the transcript at https://safepassageforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Podcast-on-Dee-Wilsons-theories-about-chronic-maltreatment.pdf
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Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota’s nonprofit mission is to strengthen the Minnesota child welfare system so children are safe and can reach their full potential. If you know someone who cares about children, be sure to share this podcast with them. Support Safe Passage's work for Minnesota's most vulnerable children at www.safepassageforchildren.org/donate
Rich Gehrman is the founder and Executive Director of Minnesota nonprofit organization Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota. He is the 2021 winner of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota’s 2021 "Mark Proctor Hero for Children Award."
