Parenting in Families of Low Socioeconomic Status: A Review with Implications for Child Welfare Practice

• Author: Karen Zilberstein
• Published date: 01 April 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12222
• Date: 01 April 2016

PARENTING IN FAMILIES OF LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS: A

REVIEW WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILD WELFARE PRACTICE

Karen Zilberstein

Families involved in the child welfare system overwhelmingly draw from low socioeconomic (SES) populations. Impover-

ished children are placed in foster care at disproportionate rates. Addressing this dynamic requires understanding the adapta-

tions low-income families make when parenting under adversity so that accurate assessments of their needs occur. This article

focuses on two aspects of child welfare practice: the evaluation of parenting capacity and service delivery. It examines, in par-

ticular, how well current practices and guidelines, as outlined in the literature, fit with more general research on families and

parenting in low-SES environments and offers suggestions for improving practice.

Key Points for the Family Court Community:

• Families involved in the child welfare system overwhelmingly come from impoverished households.

• Socioeconomic environments place varying demands on families that lead to differences in parenting styles and values

according to income level.

• Current practices and guidelines for parenting assessments and service delivery need to more fully recognize and address

those variations in parenting values, methods and circumstances.

Keywords: Child Welfare; Parenting Assessment; Poverty; Service Delivery; and Termination of Parental Rights.

INTRODUCTION

The child welfare system holds substantial authority “to investigate and to intervene in cases

where a child has been harmed or there is a reasonable belief that a child is being harmed” (American

Psychological Association [APA], 2013, p. 20). The need to protect children is supported by mount-

ing evidence that abuse and neglect create substantial impairment, particularly when it is severe,

begins early in life, or chronically accumulates. Childhood maltreatment overwhelmingly correlates

with later problems in mental health, physical health, educational, and vocational achievement as

well as numerous other social, emotional, and relational difficulties (Cancian, Yang, & Slack, 2013;

McCrory, DeBrito, & Viding, 2010; Shonkoff et al., 2012).

Determining when and how to protect children often involves calculations of risk that lead to dif-

ferent options and interventions. Child welfare authorities first investigate reports of suspected abuse

and decide whether or not state intervention is necessary. When intervention appears necessary, it

may occur while the child remains in the home or through removing the child from the home. In

both cases, families are given service plans with goals and tasks aimed at rectifying associated prob-

lems. Periodic reviews determine whether or not the family is making progress and whether or not

children should stay in the home or return after removal. In extreme cases, when a family is deemed

unable to care for its children or remediate problems in the required timeframe, termination of parent

rights (TPR) may be pursued and children permanently placed in other households. During each of

Correspondence: ekaren@me.com

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Vol. 54 No. 2, April 2016 221–231

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C2016 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts