Most Monroe County Child Abuse Investigations Are Unfounded, New Report Finds

“More than three in four investigations of child abuse or neglect in Monroe County come up with no credible evidence to support the claim, according to a recent report.

That strains the system, advocates say, and traumatizes predominately lower-income families of color.

“They are flagging poverty itself as a problem and using it as a basis to surveil Black, brown, and marginalized communities,” said Ashley Cross, executive director of Hope 585, a nonprofit advocacy group for marginalized youth and families. “The vast majority of reports allege neglect, not harm. Yet only 22% of those neglect claims are ever substantiated.”