As part of their pre-election platform, the Biden administration promised that their sweeping reforms would be carefully crafted to address current racial and social justice issues. With that in mind, several family advocates are calling for US Child Welfare policies to be reformed. Specifically, the Child Abuse Registry. (Here in Michigan we call our state registry the Central Registry.) This issue has long been a topic of heated debate around the country, and the trickle-down effect of federal policies on state law and legislation can be significant. So it’s important for the folks at the top of the pyramid to get it right.

Why does the child abuse registry need to be reformed?

According to many advocates, the impact of current child welfare policies has been unfairly carried on the shoulders of people of color. In many cases, what is categorized as neglect is nothing more than simply poverty, and could be addressed by connecting families to other local resources and assistance programs. Not having enough food can be solved by use of food banks, and Michigan’s EBT and WIC programs. Lack of running water or heat can be addressed by helping families with getting work, budgeting, or financial assistance programs. And clothing needs are easily addressed by connecting parents with local churches running coat drives, or charities working to provide kids with free, seasonally appropriate clothing.

Strides have already been taken in the right direction…

Under the Trump administration, the federal government adopted the Family First Prevention Services Act, which is a law that makes funding available to keep kids out of foster care by providing prevention services to at-risk families. Other progress made in recent years to child welfare programs include a better understanding of the importance of families on a child’s mental health, which results in greater efforts to keep families together, and greater access to quality counselling services for parents and children. But there is still a lot to do if the overall child welfare policies in the US are to be properly reformed.

There are still major issues that need to be addressed

Although there are a number of issues that are considerably less problematic than they used to be, there are still many aspects of American child welfare that need to be addressed. For example, the fact that CPS workers often play the role of both judge and jury when deciding a parent’s fate is very tricky. It puts a lot of power into the hands of a single person whose opinions may be incorrect, or poorly informed. Another issue that needs to be addressed is the fact that being on the registry makes it even harder for people to get a decent job and earn a living wage, which makes supporting your children extremely difficult.

Being on the Child Abuse Registry negalively impacts every aspect of life

If your name is on the Central Registry here in Michigan, it means you’re suspected by CPS of severely abusing or neglecting a child. Even if you were never convicted of a crime, and even if there wasn’t enough evidence to involve the police, you can be placed on the child abuse registry, and have your future job prospects ruined. So don’t let it happen. Don’t let CPS push you around, or mislabel you and make your life harder than it needs to be. Call The Kronzek Firm at 866 766 5245 and let our skilled CPS defense attorneys help you protect your parenting rights.