What Happened Next
Campbell et al. (2017) give some perspective on what mothers experience when they have gone through Child Protective Services (CPS) intervention. It is worthwhile to understand their experiences because they give good insight that can be used to help improve the practices of CPS.
One significant finding is that mothers identified persistent risk factors, often rooted in family dynamics and pre-existing issues, that remained unresolved even after CPS involvement (Campbell et al., 2017). Thus it appears that there is a clear need for some improvement in terms of how child protection services are provided: they should be trying to address some of the underlying causes of maltreatment (Bullinger et al., 2020). The perspectives of mothers should be considered by policymakers so they can refine interventions that will target root causes instead of just focusing solely on the immediate symptoms of maltreatment.
Moreover, mothers different experiences with CPS range from feelings of empowerment to frustration. This suggests there is a need for customizing interventions based on individual family needs. For example, some mothers felt stronger after CPS involvement, but others experienced no improvement in family conditions (Campbell et al., 2017). There is probably no one-size-fits-all approach to child protection. Incorporating mothers feedback into policy design could be helpful in creating more flexible interventions that let families receive the appropriate level of support.
Additionally, since male partners were often identified as primary perpetrators, policies could be improved by focusing more on the roles of non-parental caregivers and male figures within households. All parties need to be considered, but especially vulnerable mothers, so that the right care is received.
References
Bullinger, L. R., Feely, M., Raissian, K. M., & Schneider, W. (2020). Heed neglect, disrupt child
maltreatment: A call to action for researchers.International journal on child maltreatment: research, policy and practice,3, 93-104.
Campbell KA, Olson LM, Keenan HT, Morrow SL. (2017). What Happened Next: Interviews
With Mothers After a Finding of Child Maltreatment in the Household. Qual Health Res. Jan;27(2):155-169. doi: 10.1177/1049732315625197. Epub 2016 Jan 19. PMID: 26786952; PMCID: PMC4955648.
