ERIC Number: EJ1455545
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0148-432X
EISSN: N/A
Mandated Support in Education Protecting Children by Assisting Families
Chelsea Prax
American Educator, v48 n4 p26-31 2024-2025
Mandatory reporting is the first step in a troubling and common cascade: Poverty, reframed as "neglect," precipitates far too many reports, with roughly one-third of children enduring a CPS investigation. Investigated families are monitored and coerced to change their parenting (usually without support for alleviating their poverty), with the threat of child removal if they do not comply. Often, their children are taken even when they strive to comply. CPS removes thousands of children from their families, so that "on any given day, foster care rates for US children, at 563 per 100,000, exceed imprisonment rates for US adults, at 539 per 100,000." This article addresses the needs of mandated support instead of mandatory reporting, a term coined by JMACforFamilies to prioritize keeping families intact and reducing harm. Mandated support in education includes both programming changes and policy commitments. Individual educators acting as mandated supporters practice strategies to start, strengthen, and sustain healthy, trusting connections with families.
Descriptors: Poverty, At Risk Persons, Family Needs, Child Welfare, Foster Care, Teacher Role, Family Programs, Student Needs, Caseworker Approach, Child Neglect, School Social Workers
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Tel: 202-879-4420; e-mail: ae@aft.org; Web site: http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A