Do Poverty Biases Impact Child Safety Assessments?

Key points

Child-welfare investigations can cause lasting stress for parents and children.

Family-preserving supports and trauma-informed care protect children and relationships.

Multidisciplinary consultation clarifies findings and reduces bias.

Most parents know the feeling—that quick flash of panic when a child falls, bumps a table, or wakes up with a bruise you don’t remember seeing the day before. For many families, it’s a passing worry. But for families living with financial strain , those same everyday moments can carry a heavier weight. A simple accident can raise questions, draw concern, or, in rare but serious cases, trigger a child-welfare investigation.

Research shows that 85% of families investigated for neglect have incomes below 200% of the poverty line, and referral