The article discusses the extent of legal regulation of child protection in the US within the scope of three periods that are suggested by the author. The first one is from colonial times to 1875; the second – is from 1875 to 1962; the third – is from 1962 to the present. It should be noted here that the article was written in 2008, so “the present” should be referred to as this period.
Myers claims that before the increase in the numbers of nongovernmental organizations that aimed to protect children – their spread intensified in 1875 – interventions in the framework of child protection were periodical and inconsistent. Nevertheless, they took place and started operating. A child was not protected to the extent he or she was in 2008, but society knew about the maltreatments and attempted to provide help.
In 1875, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) occurred, which was the first entity in the world devoted only to child-protection affairs. By 1922, the total number of such organizations increased to 300 across the US. However, by the 1960s, most states still did not provide protection services statewide. A plethora of communities had no all-day coverage. Hence, “for the first six decades of the twentieth century, protective services in most communities were inadequate and in some places nonexistent” (Myers, 2008, p. 454).
Substantial advancement took place after the year 1962. During this period, child-protection services could be provided throughout the whole country – starting in rural areas and ending in cities. The following laws should be mentioned: the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 (CAPTA), the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA), and the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (AACWA) (Myers, 2008). Such a positive shift was a significant boon for many children. Nevertheless, the spread and development of the child-protecting system caused an exact degree of crisis in this regard. In particular, the quick passing of laws required specialists to report cases of suspected abuses and neglect. These laws led to a great number of instances that overloaded the mentioned system. The result was that child-protection services had to find their way to be provided under pressure by the 1980s.
Myers concludes that even though the child-protective system still has a lot of issues, it is still a considerable advancement in comparison with the period of the 1960s. The related organizations are easy to reach across the United States, significant sums are invested in children’s welfare, and many specialists aspire to do their best to assist parents and support children. This system is available on a twenty-four-hour basis. However, society rarely hears about child-protective services’ attainments. Myers reasonably notices that evening news and magazines tend to shed light on these services’ activities only when something goes wrong (2008). For instance, when social workers take a child from a family when they should not. However, child protection is a substantially difficult affair, and constant reports on the failings undermine the public’s confidence in the described system. The reality is that this system saves the lives of many children, showing them a path to a good future.
Reference
Myers, J. E. B. (2008). A short history of child protection in America. Family Law Quarterly,42(3), 449–463.