| In the United States, the term child
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| | for the safety, permanency, and
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| welfare is used to describe a set of
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| | well-being of children who have been
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| government services designed to protect
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| | found to be abused or neglected. The
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| children and encourage family stability.
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| | Adoption and Safe Families Act ASFA
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| These typically include investigation of
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| | requires concurrent planning in all
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| alleged child abuse and neglect ("child
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| | instances in which a child is removed
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| protective services"), foster care,
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| | from a home because of maltreatment. It
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| adoption services, and services aimed at
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| | also requires that a permanent placement
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| supporting at-risk families so they can
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| | be made or planned within fifteen months
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| remain intact ("prevention services" or
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| | of removal. In addition, in the U.S.
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| "family preservation services"). Though
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| | child welfare system, when a child is
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| the federal government sets rules which
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| | freed for adoption, there are incentives
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| all U.S. states must follow and provides
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| | to encourage families to adopt the child.
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| significant funding, the states
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| | For example, subsidies are provided until
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| themselves have primary responsibility
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| | the child is eighteen in certain
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| for establishing and operating their
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| | circumstances, such as an older child,
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| child welfare systems.
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| | special needs child, etc. The subsidy
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| Most children who come to the attention
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| | rate varies, depending on the needs of
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| of child welfare social workers do so
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| | the child.
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| because of any of the following
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| | Canada / England
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| situations, which are often collectively
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| | The child can be made a permanent crown
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| termed child maltreatment:
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| | ward and is therefore not freed for
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| Neglect (including the failure to take
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| | adoption.
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| adequate measures to protect a child from
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| | New Zealand
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| harm)
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| | In New Zealand, where 15% of children are
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| Emotional abuse
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| | born 'at risk' children are protected
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| Sexual abuse
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| | from "witnessing adult violence." The NZ
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| Physical abuse
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| | authorities note: "children will not
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| The Federal government's Administration
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| | openly disclose that they are being
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| for Children and Families reports that in
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| | traumatised."
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| 2004, approximately 3.5 million children
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| | Effects of early maltreatment on children
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| were involved in investigations of
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| | in child welfare
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| alleged abuse or neglect, and an
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| | The National Adoption Center found that
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| estimated 872,000 children were
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| | 52% of adoptable children (meaning those
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| determined to have been abused or
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| | children in U.S. foster care freed for
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| neglected. An estimated 1,490 children
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| | adoption) had symptoms of attachment
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| died that year because of abuse or
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| | disorder. A study by Dante Cicchetti
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| neglect. As of September 30, 2004, there
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| | found that 80% of abused and maltreated
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| were 517,000 children in the United
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| | infants exhibited attachment disorder
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| States in foster care.
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| | symtoms (disorganized subtype).
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| Historical Origins
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| | Children with histories of maltreatment,
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| The concept of a state sanctioned child
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| | such as physical and psychological
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| welfare system dates back to Plato's
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| | neglect, physical abuse, and sexual
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| Republic. Plato theorised that the
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| | abuse, are at risk of developing severe
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| interests of the child could be served by
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| | psychiatric problems. These children are
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| removing children from the care of their
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| | likely to develop reactive attachment
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| parents and placing them into state
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| | disorder (RAD). These children may be
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| custody. To prevent an uprising from
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| | described as experiencing
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| dispossed parents:
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| | trauma-attachment problems. The trauma
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| "We shall have to invent some ingenious
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| | experienced is the result of abuse or
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| kind of lots which the less worthy may
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| | neglect, inflicted by a primary
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| draw on each occasion of our bringing
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| | caregiver, which disrupts the normal
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| them together, and then they will accuse
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| | development of secure attachment. Such
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| their own ill-luck and not the rulers."
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| | children are at risk of developing a
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| International Comparisons
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| | disorganized attachment. Disorganized
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| United states
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| | attachment is associated with a number of
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| In the U.S., the federal government
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| | developmental problems, including
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| provides some broad definitions for abuse
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| | dissociative symptoms , as well as
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| and neglect and individual states develop
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| | depressive, anxiety, and acting-out
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| their own guidelines for defining and
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| | symptoms.
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| responding to allegations of abuse
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| | Children who have experienced such early
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| neglect. Most states recognize and define
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| | chronic trauma often experience complex
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| physical and sexual abuse and neglect.
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| | post-traumatic stress disorder and
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| Many states also recognize emotional,
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| | require extensive and specfic treatment
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| medical, and educational neglect. The
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| | to address multi-dimensional problems
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| Adoption and Safe Families Act, passed in
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| | experienced by these children.
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| 1997, specifies that states must provide
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