Child Neglect

Child neglect is a serious problem that affects thousands of children each year. In 2006 alone, 905,000 children were victims of abuse or child neglect. Child neglect is an issue that child care providers are likely to come across in their work. Child neglect is defined as the failure of caretakers to provide adequate emotional and physical care for a child. These maltreatments can have long lasting effects on children, including low self-esteem, behavior problems, difficulty learning, increased incidents of running away from home, increased rates of suicide and more involvement in criminal activity.

As child care providers, it’s important for us to be able to recognize the signs of child neglect. By doing this, the child is one step closer to getting help. If you recognize any of the following signs in any of the children in your center, they may be victim of child neglect. Look for learning issues, such as a difficulty in concentrating. Keep an eye out for children who always seem watchful, like they are preparing and expecting something bad to happen. Look for children who are overly withdrawn, passive or compliant. Are there any children who consistently come to your center early and never seem to want to go home? Do any children seem reluctant to be around a certain person, especially their parents when they come to pick them up? Do any children seem to lack supervision? Sometimes you can tell this by their behavior or the way they’re dressed. Often times children will even express their maltreatment to you. If you see a number of these signs present in any of the children in your center, they may be victim to child neglect.

Nobody wants to be put in the situation of having to report an incident like this, but as child care providers, it’s important that we do just that. Child care providers are actually required by law to report child maltreatment. You can report the incident to child care protective services by telephone or in person. Please don’t hesitate to report your suspicions; it’s better to be safe for the child’s sake. They will thank you in the long run.

Like this post? Check out some of our other informational videos about child safety and the importance of early childhood education!