| Child neglect is a neglected area of research, and exploratory studies, like this one, can shed new light on this important child welfare problem. Since children are rarely cared for in total isolation from other, this exploratory, descriptive case study examined the social support networks and child caregiving characteristics of a sample of neglecting parents. Answering the question of who takes care of the children of neglectful families involves a complex set of responses. In order to answer questions about child caregiving networks and child neglect, it was necessary to describe the characteristics of the children, families, and caregivers studied. Once this information was collected, patterns surfaced. The study confirmed eight of the 17 propositions in this study. Neglectful families can have many people in them; their network members may be moderately supportive, they may be characterized by a large number of caregivers caring for the children in a form called "multiple caregiving"; there may or may not be one person other than the mother who regulates the childcare called the "kinkeeper"; relationships with friends and relatives may be characterized by moderate concrete, emotional and informational support, moderate closeness, resources flowing to the parent, and whoever cares for the children may do it intentionally and may be predictable. Studies on neglect that focus only on poverty miss the point and do not examine the fine distinctions inherent in the problem. In general, using the case study design to closely examine the social support networks and child caregiving networks of a group of children and their families produced fruitful findings that can expand the direction of practice and research on neglect. Practitioners who can engage neglectful families in an exploration of their social support and child caregiving networks can develop relationships and learn from the parents about their world. Public child welfare agencies that embrace the spirit of social networks as a means of entering family's lives and working with the family's support systems will be well on their way towards meeting the federal outcomes of child safety, permanence and well-being. |
