“Each year, millions of children in the United States are reported to be victims of abuse or neglect. Between 2014 and 2015, nearly 3.5 million children were reported to have been victims of suspected maltreatment, and approximately two-thirds of these cases resulted in investigations by Child Protective Services (CPS). Available data indicate that reported cases
“Recent Child Trends analyses of the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) show that the number of referrals made to child welfare agencies for child maltreatment continued to climb in 2023. Referrals include those that were “screened in” for investigation or for an alternative response by child protective services, as well as those
Options for mandated reporters when children resist reporting. “Across the United States, state laws designate licensed mental health professionals (MHPs) as mandated reporters when they have reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect (Ettinger, 2022). This legal obligation requires MHPs to report such concerns to child protection authorities and exposes them to potential criminal charges, fines, or
“The family—not the state—is the first and most essential institution of a free people. America must restore the family’s sovereign role in raising and protecting children. Government overreach has turned protection into control. Most child removals stem from poverty or parenting differences, not abuse—evidence of a system that manages families instead of supporting them. Federal
“Helplines, also are known as warmlines, support lines, or care lines, are designed to connect families to community and government services that can prevent safety issues from escalating to the level of child welfare system involvement. Unlike general information or resource lines, helplines are proactive and offer intensive support, making referrals and following up with
“Helplines provide referrals to community and government resources that support parents and other caregivers in raising their children safely and successfully. By connecting children and families to upstream services, helplines can be an effective strategy in efforts to prevent child welfare system involvement. Creating the right path to provide support Child welfare systems currently rely on
Across the United States, educators are mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. But reporting rarely helps protect children from harm. We need an alternative model that prioritizes family relationships and addresses family challenges. To facilitate such a transition—from mandatory reporting to mandated support—we must understand our current landscape. Here we present insights from a
This resource describes a theory of change, implementation strategies, and vision for warmlines/helplines and integrated service access points.
“From April to June 2025, the Bloom Works Prevention Learning Collaborative team, funded by the Doris Duke Foundation, began a project to explore warmlines as a way to prevent child welfare system involvement, reduce reports to hotlines, and connect families to prevention services. This first stage of work focused on describing the different configurations of
“Emotional support helplines are a longstanding strategy for supporting parents, but few studies have measured how much these programs work to address negative feelings in parents. Drawing on a sample of 281 helpline calls from parents to the California Parent and Youth Helpline®, the authors analyzed changes in emotions expressed through language, while parents spoke
