How to cover the child welfare system with depth and care - Poynter

"The child welfare system is arguably one of the most difficult systems to navigate. The agencies that comprise the system wield enormous responsibility to ensure children's safety. But they often punish struggling families by removing their children rather than providing services to support them. And while some children may benefit from being in a state's custody, many more face mistreatment within a system that has lasting effects on education, mental health and more."

"Is it child neglect, or is it poverty? Reports to child protective service agencies for neglect often outnumber abuse allegations. From July 2024 to 2025 in Alaska, 68-77% of children were screened into the system for neglect allegations. While those children may also face abuse, those numbers are generally much lower. Public policy researcher Dorothy Roberts described child welfare as a " family policing system." She said it blames parents for systemic inequities, frequently through state interventions and family separations."

"Nationally, Black children make up 14% of the U.S population, but 23% of the people in the system. Other groups that are disproportionately affected include Alaska Native and American Indian people. In Alaska, Alaska Native and American Indian people made up about 20.3% of the population for the past year. But Alaska Office of Children's Services data shows they consistently make up around two-thirds of children removed from homes and placed into the state's custody. Roberts said that's largely due to systemic inequities."

Child welfare systems often remove children instead of offering supportive services, leading to long-term harms in education and mental health. Reports for neglect commonly exceed abuse allegations; in Alaska, 68–77% of screened cases were neglect from July 2024 to 2025. Public policy researcher Dorothy Roberts characterized child welfare as a " family policing system," blaming parents for systemic inequities and driving state interventions and family separations. Racial disproportionality persists: Black children and Alaska Native and American Indian children are overrepresented in custody and removals. Reporters should investigate systemic causes beyond individual caseworker failures when children die in care.

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