A selection of The Imprint’s most impactful stories from the past year
Most child welfare cases begin with a report to a hotline, followed by a visit to the home by child protection workers. The rights of parents in regard to both of those processes were front and center in 2023.
In New York, lawmakers weighed growing calls to overhaul or even abandon the idea of mandated reporting, where certain professionals (or in some states, all adults) are required to report any suspected abuse or neglect to a hotline. New York City’s child welfare leaders have also voiced support for constraints on anonymous reporting to the hotline, an action that legislatures in California and Texas took this year.
Texas also passed legislation requiring what has come to be known as a “family Miranda” warning, where CPS workers must apprise parents of their rights when they arrive to investigate an allegation of abuse or neglect. Arizona passed a similar bill, while similar legislation in New York did not move forward.
