Please find excerpts below from this interview done by Careena Farmer and Sara Werner, Contributors, and Keyna Franklin, Assistant Editor of Rise Magazine with Kelley Fong, Assistant Professor at Georgia Tech (pictured above) and author of “The Tool We Have”: Why Child Protective Services Investigates So Many Families and How Even Good Intentions Backfire” below:
Throughout our 2019 series Surveillance Isn’t Safety, Rise described how over-reporting, investigations and monitoring by child protective services (CPS) harm families and weaken communities impacted by systemic racism and under-investment. Struggling families face investigations by punitive child welfare agencies with the power to take their children — but not the ability to address societal inequities at the root of so many family challenges.
Here, Kelley Fong explains her research finding that often professionals make reports to CPS to “rehabilitate” families. In most cases, the children are not in danger, but mandated reporters turn to CPS to provide resources or to pressure families to behave in ways they feel are appropriate. She also discusses research about better ways to support families without coercion and threat.
Q. Please tell us about your recent research study, “The Tool We Have”?
A. Millions of families are investigated by CPS each year. About 1 in 3 kids experience a CPS investigation in childhood. More than half of Black children experience investigations — astronomically high numbers. The vast majority of cases close at the investigation stage.
Child welfare agencies are notoriously private, so people without personal experience with these systems don’t know a lot about them. They may read the news, see these high numbers and think parents must be torturing children. My goal was to shine a light on what the work of CPS agencies actually entails and to get a full view of the reporting and investigation process.
I spent time in the Connecticut Department of Children and Families shadowing social workers as they investigated families, had meetings and went to court. I interviewed mandated reporters — professionals such as educational, mental health and medical personnel who are legally required to report suspected maltreatment and are responsible for two-thirds of CPS reports. I also spoke with mothers who were being investigated by CPS.
To read the entire article, please visit the Rise Magazine site.
Comments (0)