Educational Neglect

In this situation, the childrens educational neglect is obvious, and their well-being is also obviously at risk. Being a professional and having to respond to this case, I would make it my first duty to make sure that the children are safe and protected while the initial investigation gets underway. They cannot be left in a risky environment where neglect is happeningso that is the first step.

Thus, I would address the immediate issue of neglect. The mother has failed to send her children to school for a considerable portion of the school year. She says that the children have been sick, but there are no doctors notes and the childrens own statements about their lack of regular school attendance raise concerns about how truthful her claims are. The children also report of their mothers alcohol consumption and late-night behavior, which indicates that there are deeper issues affecting their education and well-being.

I would initiate a referral to Child Protective Services (CPS) due to the mothers neglectful behavior and the risky home environment, as the children also mentioned threats of physical punishment and a lack of food (Palmer et al., 2024). An investigation would be needed to actually assess the mothers fitness as a caregiver. The evaluation is also needed to discern whether the children are in immediate danger, and if temporary placement with another family member or foster care would be beneficial.

I would also collaborate with the school to implement a plan for the childrens safe return to regular school. This could mean getting social services involved with providing transportation or other support if these are the barriers that have kept the children from attending school.

Lastly, the mother may need counseling and addiction services if her alcohol use is confirmed, and the family may need assistance in obtaining healthcare and food programs. We need to take care of both the children's education and overall safety while also helping the mother address her issues (Wald, 2022).

References

Palmer, L., Font, S., Eastman, A. L., Guo, L., & Putnam-Hornstein, E. (2024). What does child

protective services investigate as neglect? A population-based study.Child maltreatment,29(1), 96-105.

Wald, M. S. (2022). Beyond CPS: Building a System to Protect the Safety and Basic

Development of Children Experiencing Problematic Parenting. InHandbook of Child Maltreatment(pp. 697-728). Cham: Springer International Publishing.