What COVID-19 means for America’s Child Welfare System

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The COVID-19 crisis has revealed a lot about America. When a crisis comes, the truth is not too far to follow. The reality is that COVID-19 has revealed many shortcomings in the United States child welfare system. Granted, no institution has perfectly navigated the waters of the global pandemic, the child welfare system must operate at the highest level of excellence for the safety and betterment of the children they serve.

What is going wrong with the American Child Welfare System?

When you realize that the nation’s system of detecting abuse and neglect is heavily dependent on the school system and doctors reporting the incidents, the effects of COVID-19 and shutdowns are significant. Stay-at-home orders, while beneficial when managing the pandemic, have removed a good deal of insight outside parties could have into protecting children while they are at home. In addition, home investigations, child-parent visits, mandatory court appearances, home-based parenting programs and the like are practically at a standstill during this time. These issues combined make it difficult to ensure the safety and well-being of nearly 4 million children. While the issues are glaring, the hope is that this pandemic will allow those in charge to restructure child welfare and to create a more sustainable future for protecting our children.

What encompasses the child welfare system?

America’s child welfare system is composed of public agencies, private entities, and community-based organizations. These groups are primarily focused on ensure both the safety and the well-being of children by recognizing child abuse or neglect and responding appropriately. Federal laws and funding can influence state actions, but there U.S. lacks a clear strategy for addressing child abuse and neglect forcing the protection to fall heavily on the individual states.

What are the priorities of the child welfare system?

There are two priorities of the child welfare system – child protection and family preservation. Many could argue that those are conflicting priorities but with the right legal team and support system in place both can be achieved. Each state mandates their program structure, services, and overall approach. Having the right group of people working on behalf of our children will ensure better outcomes.

Legal representation is crucial in protecting our children and defending our families. Ensuring that you have the right legal team working with you, and for you, is vital to the preservation of your family and the protection of your children. It is equally as important to verify that the legal team you are working with is well versed in family law as well.