(Since child protection began with the humane society, I thought it appropriate to include a picture of one of our four dogs. Lucy is the only one that wasn't adopted. Of the other three, two were strays and one adopted from the shelter).

Child Protection Legislation History

Early leaders in the child protection field came almost exclusively from private agencies, as opposed to religious or governmental groups. They took an active role in protecting children, and advocated for better legislation to safeguard children’s interests.

The private child protective movement initially had a law enforcement emphasis, and the New York SPCC found cases of neglect and abuse by stationing agents in courts to investigate any cases involving children. They were given police powers and could take custody of children pending investigation. This approach was gradually replaced in some areas to more of a focus on family casework, and maintaining and enriching family life through social supports. Child protection eventually became part of this.

In the first half of the 20th century, more social service agencies in other states began to take responsibility for providing services for abused and neglected children and their families. The people who had been responding to abused and neglected children began to see a need to also help their families, rather than treating child maltreatment as a crime. The trend was, and still is, to provide services to children and their families in an attempt to preserve the family, and help parents to effectively raise their children.

The Social Security Act of 1935 was the first federal attempt at funding child welfare services. Title IV-A addressed the specific financial needs of children in families deprived of parental support. Title IV-B provided limited federal funding in the form of grants, for states to develop, strengthen or expand services to protect vulnerable children. Funds available through Title IV-B were used to provide foster care for children, but did not provide support services to families with children at home.

The 1930s and 1940s was a time when the focus of child protection moved from that of law enforcement/punishment to social service/rehabilitation. Social workers realized that a casework approach could be applied to families who sought services, although sometimes not of their own free will.

In the 1960s, there was major development in our country’s response to child maltreatment. This led to laws passed in every state that mandated professionals who worked with children to report child abuse to local social service departments. This also gave private citizens and family members a means to report their concerns as well. At this time, child abuse became an issue of national importance, and public welfare departments began to function as investigative units and could track families and perpetrators as they moved from area to area.

Despite this increased awareness, children remained in foster care for years without any plan for permanent placement. They were often moved from home to home, with no chance to form any kind of attachment to any permanent caregiver. They also often lost all contact with their biological families. This became known as foster care drift, and its effects were documented as early as 1959.

(to be continued...)