Child Safety

New York's child welfare agency is facing criticism from the Office of the Comptroller over its child fatality reviews and issues with the state-run child protection hotline.

To better reach families, we should have our own version of The Three Graces: opportunity, competence and empathy. 

By The Imprint staff reports Child welfare leaders are getting behind an initiative that they say would accelerate a major national shift toward building a child safety system that prioritizes keeping families from falling into the foster care system because of severe maltreatment while at the same time improving the safety of children at risk of maltreatment.

By The Imprint staff reports The great majority of infants who unexpectedly suffocated and died in their sleep in recent years were bedded in unsafe sleeping conditions, according to a new study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that underscores decades-old public health guidelines.

By Paul S. DiLorenzo In child welfare we are prone to distraction. Through the decades we’ve become excited by multiple trends and legislation addressing safety, family preservation and permanency, assuming they would resolve the complexities of our work with families.

By Regina Dyton Since the nation witnessed the murder of George Floyd at the hands of members of law enforcement, it has been hard to contain the sorrow and  anger. As he called out for his deceased mother, he spoke to every mother across this nation who has struggled to keep her child safe.

A prominent New York City official fired off a scathing letter last week to the Administration of Children’s Services (ACS) Commissioner David Hansell, alleging that his agency had failed to enact urgent reforms.

This week, the head of the nation’s largest child protection agency surprised his staff and the broader child welfare community by announcing his retirement. Philip Browning has served as director of the Los Angeles County’s sprawling Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for five years, the second-longest stint in the agency’s 32-year history.

When the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities released its groundbreaking report this past March, it helped launch a national dialogue about child safety, and most importantly, shifted the current narrative around maltreatment-related fatalities in a significant way.