Home

Climate Change Project

Table of Contents

Courses

Search


<< >> Up Title Contents

Child Neglect

Child abuse includes acts of omission as well as commission. Parents must provide a child with food, shelter, clothing, education, medical care, and reasonable emotional support within the limits of their ability. If a child appears to lack any of these necessities, the physician should be involved in finding out why. If the family is in crisis and lacks the resources to provide for the children, local social service agencies should be contacted to assist. A church food bank may be able to provide food until the family is eligible for food stamps, or a shelter for the homeless may be able to take them in until housing becomes available. Most public hospitals have social workers on staff who can help with such problems.

If the parents have the resources to care for a child properly but choose not to, they are neglecting that child. This includes parents who do not have adequate resources but refuse necessary social services for personal reasons. Parents who are disabled or emotionally disturbed may be incapable of caring for a child properly. In such situations, a report should be made to the child protection agency. If the parents have good intentions but difficulty coping, then protective services may be able to help them find the necessary community support. If the parents are not willing or able to meet the needs of the child, the protection agency may have to remove the child from the home.


<< >> Up Title Contents

Law and the Physician Homepage
Copyright 1993 - NOT UPDATED

The Climate Change and Public Health Law Site
The Best on the WWW Since 1995!
Copyright as to non-public domain materials
See DR-KATE.COM for home hurricane and disaster preparation
See WWW.EPR-ART.COM for photography of southern Louisiana and Hurricane Katrina
Professor Edward P. Richards, III, JD, MPH - Webmaster

Provide Website Feedback - https://www.lsu.edu/feedback
Privacy Statement - https://www.lsu.edu/privacy
Accessibility Statement - https://www.lsu.edu/accessibility