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The Social Welfare Policy Landscape and Child Protective Services: Opportunities for and Barriers to Creating Systems Synergy

Author

Listed:
  • Megan Feely
  • Kerri M. Raissian
  • William Schneider
  • Lindsey Rose Bullinger

Abstract

Contemporary child welfare policies in the United States are well-suited for prevention of child abuse but fail to account for the relationship between family financial hardship and neglect, that is, the lack of safe and consistent care. We argue that rates of child neglect have been stagnant because of two failures: (1) lack of recognition of financial hardship as a causal mechanism of neglect and (2) federal policy that purposefully omits alleviation of financial hardship as a solution to the occurrence of neglect. Because U.S. antipoverty programs operate independently of one another, our siloed policy structure misses opportunities for the alleviation of child maltreatment and, worse, creates negative and unintended consequences in child welfare. We present a model for change: systems synergy for the promotion of safe and consistent care that makes reduction of child maltreatment the responsibility of every social service program in the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Megan Feely & Kerri M. Raissian & William Schneider & Lindsey Rose Bullinger, 2020. "The Social Welfare Policy Landscape and Child Protective Services: Opportunities for and Barriers to Creating Systems Synergy," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 692(1), pages 140-161, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:692:y:2020:i:1:p:140-161
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716220973566
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Ron Haskins, 2020. "Child Welfare Financing: What Do We Fund, How, and What Could Be Improved?," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 692(1), pages 50-67, November.
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    8. Lawrence M. Berger & Kristen S. Slack, 2020. "The Contemporary U.S. Child Welfare System(s): Overview and Key Challenges," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 692(1), pages 7-25, November.
    9. Lindo, Jason M. & Schaller, Jessamyn & Hansen, Benjamin, 2018. "Caution! Men not at work: Gender-specific labor market conditions and child maltreatment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 77-98.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kim, Hyunil & Schneider, William, 2026. "Neighborhood eviction filings and judgments, child maltreatment reports, and child protective services involvement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    2. Blumenthal, Anne & White-Wolfe, Holly & Thomas, Margaret, 2025. "Still Blaming Parents? Describing the “Evidence Base” Underpinning Child Neglect Intervention Programs," SocArXiv dp9yu_v1, Center for Open Science.
    3. Fix, Rebecca L. & Luken, Amanda & Nair, Reshmi & Fix, Spencer T., 2025. "Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in substantiated child maltreatment: A state-level analysis of U.S. incidence rates," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    4. Lawrence M. Berger & Brenda Jones Harden, 2025. "Racism and racial disparities in Child Protective Services involvement: How can government respond?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(2), pages 707-710, March.
    5. Frank Edwards, 2025. "Incorporating a more expansive theory of racism into child and family policy systems," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(2), pages 711-714, March.

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