I once viewed a movie in which a child was being severely abused by his parents. He locked himself in a closet and called the child protective services hotline and was able to be rescued from a heart wrenching situation. Children should be protected from abusive parents. However, this agency‘s goal of protecting children has, because of federal and state regulations, turned into an agency that separates children from families.
The reason for the change of the agency’s agenda in recent years is highlighted in a research article by The Education State University, “In 1980, Congress passed the first comprehensive federal child protective services act, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-272), which focused on state economic incentives to substantially decrease the length and number of foster care placements. This act also required specific family reunification services, reflecting the goals of the 1909 White House Conference. However, in 1997, in order to cure many of the defects in the 1980 act, Congress passed the Adoption and Safe Families Act, which shifted the focus from family reunification to expeditious permanency for children in adoptive placements. All state child protection systems adopted the federal guidelines as a requirement for receiving federal subsidies.” Child Protective Services - HISTORICAL OVERVIEW, CURRENT SYSTEM.
To receive federal aid States have used these guidelines to support their decision to place children into non-family adopted homes. This has resulted in separation of siblings, loss of contact with grandparents and other close family members, and the destruction of the child’s legacy and heritage.
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