Child welfare

Child welfare comprises public and private systems and services that protect children from harm and support their safety, family relationships, and development.

Child protective services: Government agencies that investigate reports of child abuse or neglect and coordinate protective responses. These agencies handle many reports that bring families into the child welfare system.
Mandatory reporting: Legal requirements for designated professionals to report suspected child abuse or neglect to authorities. Reports from mandated professionals can initiate protective-service screening and investigation.
Family support: Practical, emotional, or financial assistance that helps families meet their needs and care for children. Support may prevent crises before they require formal child protection involvement.
Child maltreatment: Abuse or neglect of a child that causes or risks harm to health, development, or dignity. Preventing and responding to maltreatment is a central purpose of child welfare systems.
Child saving movement: A nineteenth- and early twentieth-century reform movement that sought to protect children and regulate their lives. Its reformers helped establish institutions and policies that influenced later child welfare systems.
Family preservation: Services intended to keep children safely with their families by addressing risks and strengthening caregiving. It represents the system’s preferred alternative to separating children when safety can be maintained at home.
Child abuse investigation: A formal inquiry into allegations that a child has been abused or neglected. Investigations gather information used to assess safety and determine whether intervention is warranted.
Universal prevention: Programs offered to an entire population to reduce risks before specific problems are identified. Universal services address conditions affecting children without requiring an abuse allegation.
Separation anxiety: Distress caused by separation from an attachment figure, especially in children. Removal from home can disrupt a child’s attachment relationships and emotional security.
Mary Ellen Wilson: A nineteenth-century New York child whose abuse case became a landmark in the history of child protection. Her case helped spur organized efforts to protect children from abuse within families.

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