Strengthening Families Through Support: Key to Reducing Child Protective Services Intervention

Child well-being is closely tied to the availability of supports that keep families together and ensure children grow up in stable, nurturing environments. The latest data underscores the significant impact that access to economic and community supports can have on reducing the need for child protective services intervention.

Each year, over four million families are referred to child protective services, with around 200,000 children entering foster care. Often, these families are struggling with financial hardships that could be mitigated through targeted support. Evidence shows that policies separating poverty from neglect can lead to better family outcomes. For instance, states like Kentucky and Indiana have updated their definitions of child neglect to exclude financial hardship, and early data suggests these changes are associated with improved family stability.

Recent federal actions have focused on enhancing prevention services and increasing access to resources such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. By providing flexible funding and supporting transportation and case management, these measures help families engage with services before they reach a crisis point. Additionally, prioritizing kinship care has been shown to improve outcomes for children who cannot remain with their parents, leading to more stable and supportive living arrangements.

These efforts, alongside investments in housing relief, childcare, and the expanded Child Tax Credit, represent a comprehensive approach to supporting families and reducing child poverty. By focusing on early interventions and community-level support, these policies aim to ensure that children can remain with their families whenever it is safe to do so, thereby improving long-term outcomes for children across the country.

Learn more here: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Actions to Keep Children and Families Safely Together and Supported.